BS EN 12697-4 is a standard that serves technical specifications for bitumen recovery with a fractionating column, enabling high recovery factor and efficiency in the extraction process.
BS EN 12697-4 specifies a test method for the recovery of soluble bitumen from bituminous mixtures from pavements in a form suitable for further testing. BS EN 12697-4 procedure is suitable for the recovery of paving grade bitumen and is also suitable for mixtures containing volatile matter such as cut-back bitumen, but the results may be less precise.
BS EN 12697-4 is the reference method for mixtures containing volatile matter, but the rotary evaporator procedure (see EN 12697-3) for mixtures with paving grade bitumen.
Note: There is limited experience of recovery when polymer-modified bitumen is used.
BS EN 12697-4 on bitumen recovery with a fractionating column applies to:
Bituminous mixtures, also known as asphalt mixtures, are widely used as construction materials, that impart durability and structural strength to the end application. The mass of bitumen in the finished product divided by the total amount of bitumen sent to the process plant is known as bitumen recovery.
BS EN 12697-4 provides users guidance on principle, apparatus, solvents, materials, procedure, preparation of bitumen for testing, test report, and precision, ensuring high recovery factor in fractionating columns.
BS EN 12697-4 provides users guidance on test methods for bitumen recovery with a fractionating column. BS EN 12697-4 also provides users with a step-by-step procedure for testing, enabling users to do the method correctly.
The adoption of BS EN 12697-4 allows users to recover bitumen with the fractionating column using solvents and other materials, enhancing the grade of extracted bitumen.
BS EN 12697-4:2015 supersedes BS EN 12697-4:2005, which is now withdrawn.
Changes in BS EN 12697-4:2015 include -
EN 12697-4:2015