Purpose and Scope of Application

This method is applicable for determining the asphalt content in asphalt mixtures using the combustion furnace method, and it is also suitable for conducting sieve analysis on asphalt mixtures after combustion.

This method is applicable to quality control of hot-mix asphalt mixtures and asphalt mixtures sampled from pavements during production and construction.

Our company’s newly developed asphalt combustion furnace complies with the standards of the National Asphalt Technology Center (NCAT) in the United States (ASTM D6307, AASHTO, TP53-95 BSDD250). The combustion method enables rapid, accurate, safe, and reliable determination of asphalt content. It meets the requirements of large‑scale continuous production at mixing plants and road supervision inspections, thereby ensuring the quality of road construction. This equipment offers advantages such as environmental friendliness, safety, high accuracy, fast operation, and digital display with printout functionality.

Main Technical Parameters of the Asphalt Content Tester Using the Burning Method

Technical Features of the Burning Method Asphalt Content Tester

1. The furnace body of the combustion method asphalt content tester is made from aerospace-grade thermal insulation materials, featuring a short preheating time and rapid heating speed—reaching the standard operating temperature of 538°C within 20 minutes, significantly reducing test time compared to similar products. It boasts high temperature control accuracy and excellent stability, employing PWM modulation with PID-enabled temperature control.
2. It boasts excellent thermal insulation: when the furnace interior reaches its standard operating temperature, the external temperature remains below 45°C, ensuring high operational safety while effectively preventing high temperatures from affecting the measurement accuracy of electronic scales.
3. Equipped with a secondary combustion function in the afterburner chamber, as well as a high‑temperature filtration and exhaust system, ensuring the discharge of test exhaust gases.
The quantity meets environmental protection requirements.
4. The instrument runs automatically and is easy to operate—simply enter the sample weight and calibration factor, then load the sample.
Press the “Work” key; after the test is completed, the data will be automatically printed and the test results saved. It also supports functions such as retrieving historical data and printing test reports.
5. The software boasts powerful functionality, capable of simultaneously displaying asphalt content, asphalt‑to‑aggregate ratio, sample weight loss, and test duration. It features strong electromagnetic compatibility; the heating channels are equipped with soft‑start functionality for both power-on and power-off; and the electronic control system is fitted with an electromagnetic shielding enclosure.

Operating Procedures for the Asphalt Content Tester Using the Combustion Method

1. Check whether the laboratory power supply is safely connected.
2. Check the microcontroller power supply and the furnace power supply, then connect the furnace power supply and turn on the red switch on the right side of the control cabinet to bring the single-board computer into working mode; the display will show the operating menu.
3. Set the temperature (usually 540°C), adjust the parameters (set the initial parameter to 0), and select the mix type.
4. Press the heating button; the heating indicator light will illuminate, and the combustion furnace will begin to heat up.
5. When the furnace reaches the set temperature, open the combustion furnace door; the heating will automatically stop at this point. Carefully place the empty material basket onto the tray.
6. Close the furnace door and press the heating button to start heating. Once the real‑time temperature displayed on the screen reaches at least 500°C and the sample weight reading (which now represents the weight of the material basket) stabilizes—typically after 3–10 minutes of heating—press the tare button to reset the sample weight to zero; the resulting value should be less than 0.2 g. (Note: You must tare the weight before opening the furnace door.)
7. Open the furnace door and remove the material basket; immediately close the furnace door to prevent the furnace temperature from dropping. Place the asphalt mixture required for testing into the material basket, taking care not to pile it up—instead, spread it evenly inside the basket.
8. Place the material basket on the tray inside the combustion furnace, making sure to position the basket in the center of the tray to ensure the accuracy of the test results.
9. Close the furnace door and quickly press the heating button; the heating indicator light will illuminate, and the combustion furnace will begin to heat up. The display screen will show the sample weight (this value remains unchanged throughout the test). After 30 seconds of heating, the fan will start running, and the value on the display screen will be refreshed once—this marks the beginning of the test.
10. During the test, the display continuously shows the values of weight loss. When the lost weight reaches a predetermined value, the single-chip microcontroller automatically determines whether the test has concluded. After the fan automatically stops running upon test completion, the display shows the test results, and the printer automatically generates and prints the test report.
11. Open the furnace door, remove the material basket, and clean it thoroughly; then prepare for the next test.
12. If you need multiple copies of the test report, please press the print button repeatedly.

4. Composition of the Burning Method Asphalt Content Tester

The asphalt content tester consists of three main components:
1. Combustion equipment (i.e., the combustion furnace body)
2. Weight measurement equipment (i.e., electronic balances)
3. Experimental Measurement, Control, and Data Processing Section (i.e., the Microcontroller-Based Measurement and Control System)

Instrument Description

1. The warranty period for our company’s products is one year, with a six‑month warranty on the electrical components. During the warranty period, repairs are provided free of charge; if on-site service is required, the customer must cover all additional costs incurred by the technician during the repair, including meals, accommodation, and other related expenses. After the warranty period expires, our company will continue to provide repair services, but the customer is responsible for bearing the costs of spare parts and labor.
2. During the product warranty period, any equipment or instrument failures occurring during our company’s production process shall be covered by our company’s warranty. However, if such failures are caused by improper operation on the part of the user, all associated costs shall be borne by the user.