Viking Pump Bitumen & Asphalt Pumps

Asphalt & Bitumen pumps are used for fluid transfer in a range of demanding pavement and building material applications including:

• • Asphalt OEM markets
  • Refineries
  • Terminals
  • Hot Mix Plants
  • Roofing Plants
  • Distributor Trucks
  • Tar Kettles/Tack Tanks

Viking Pump, a leading bitumen pump manufacturer, offers pumps to meet the challenges posed by asphalt. Choosing the right model will help you get the most out of your asphalt pump.  This article will cover:

1. 1. Bitumen vs Asphalt: Why It Matters for your Pump Selection
   2. Why are Positive Displacement Pumps Popular for Asphalt?
   3. Choosing the Right Viking Asphalt Pump
      • Asphalt Cement Pumps
      • Asphalt Emulsion Pumps
      • Filled Asphalt Pumps
      • Tar Pumps
   4. Customize your Asphalt Solution
   5. Additional Resources

Bitumen vs. Asphalt: Why It Matters for Your Pump Selection

Bitumen is a thick, sticky form of petroleum—also called asphalt cement or binder—that becomes liquid when heated and is used as an adhesive and waterproofing agent. This highly viscous, black petroleum residue is used for adhesives, waterproofing, roofing, and road binder. When heated to liquid form, bitumen can be pumped with positive displacement internal gear pumps.

Asphalt, on the other hand, is a mixture of heated bitumen and dry aggregates that is used in road paving, roofing, and sealants. It cannot be pumped directly due to grit/aggregate wear. Unlike bitumen, once asphalt is mixed, it becomes abrasive and unsuitable for pump transfer, so it’s usually transported by dump truck to job sites.

Asphalt can be infinitely recycled and produced in three general forms:

• • Hot Mix asphalt – temperatures between 150 and 180°C
  • Warm Mix asphalt – temperatures around 20 to 40°C lower
  • Cold mix asphalt – ambient temperature blend of emulsified bitumen and aggregate

Pre-heating bitumen ensures proper viscosity and performance in applications or when conveyed with aggregate.

Why Are Positive Displacement Pumps Popular for Asphalt?

Positive displacement pumps provide a smooth, steady flow of asphalt, unlike other types of pumps that can produce pressure fluctuations. In addition, PD pumps:

• • can produce high discharge pressures
  • are easy to maintain
  • provide more accuracy in volume of asphalt delivered.

Choosing the Right Viking Asphalt Pump

Choosing the optimal Viking asphalt pump for a given application is based on several factors:

• • Fluid type (clean vs. abrasive bitumen, emulsion, pitch)
  • Desired flow, pressure, and operating temperature
  • Heating method: electric, steam, or hot oil
  • Drive type, porting, mounting, and seal system
  • Maintenance convenience and uptime goals

Each asphalt product – asphalt cement, asphalt emulsion, filled asphalt, tar – has its own challenges, but robust Viking asphalt pumps are designed to provide solutions and maximize operational efficiency.

Asphalt Cement Pumps

Pure bitumen (asphalt cement) is an oil-based liquid with no fillers. It is used in roofing materials and road paving. When used for paving, bitumen is typically heated to 150–190 °C before being mixed with aggregate to form paving asphalt.

Viking internal gear pumps are used to transfer and circulate hot bitumen before it’s mixed. Pavement pumps such as the Viking 324A series, feature jacketed construction for heating and rugged packing seals.

Ideal asphalt cement pumps have a source of heat like electric heat or jacketing to keep the asphalt cement from turning into a solid within the pump. A long time tried and true liquid asphalt pump solution is Viking’s 34 series pumps (34, 124E, and 324E). These pumps, which come standard with jacketing, are ideal for lower pressure applications.

Watch the Viking Electrically Heated Pumps video.

Bitumen pumps are used for unloading trucks and railcars, and for pumping additives at intermodal terminals, storage terminals, and blending terminals. In addition, asphalt cement pumps are used for unloading, transferring, and metering in hot mix plants.

Asphalt Emulsion Pumps

Asphalt Emulsions are a mixture of bitumen and water (plus emulsifying agents), used in cold paving, dust suppression, or surface treatments. Careful handling is necessary for these potentially shear sensitive materials.

Emulsions make it easier to apply asphalt for crack filling, coating roadways, or waterproofing, and they require a suitable asphalt sealer pump.

Viking’s non-jacketed or lightly jacketed pumps, like the 4124A or 4224A, are used to transfer emulsified asphalt at ambient or mild temperatures. These pumps are used as asphalt sealcoating pumps and for other asphalt emulsion applications. Benefits include:

• • Corrosion-resistant materials for emulsion compatibility
  • No need for extreme heat (which could break the emulsion)
  • Flexible sealing options

Filled Asphalt Pumps

Filled Asphalts (Roofing, Mastic Asphalt, Modified Binders) refer to asphalt that contains added solid particulates including fibers, rubber, polymers, or fillers. Filled asphalt is commonly used in roofing, waterproofing, and specialty paving.

Due to the potential for abrasive wear, filled asphalt pumps are designed with hardened internal parts. Filled asphalt pumps also require a heat source due to the elevated temperatures required to reduce the asphalt viscosity.

Viking’s hardened internal gear pumps, such as the 324A series, are ideal for handling abrasive or high-viscosity fluids like filled asphalt. Features include:

• • Hardened components to resist abrasive wear
  • Steam jacket heating
  • Rugged and reliable, economical design

Viking 124E and 324E series pumps are an electric-heated pumping option for filled asphalt. Electric heated pumps offer lower installation cost and lower energy cost compared to traditional jacketed pumps that require steam or hot oil to be piped in separately.

Viking pumps form the backbone of a number of filled asphalt applications, including mix or surge tank, adhesive and sealant pumps, and laminator pumps.

Tar Pumps

SG-05 series compact external gear solution is ideal for tar kettles or tack tank applications. In addition, the 34 series internal gear pump is often employed as a hot tar pump due to its robust cast iron construction.

Customize Your Asphalt Solution

Let Edelmann help you choose the right industrial asphalt pump. Contact us to request dimensional PDFs, datasheets, customized heat jackets, relief valves, and seal materials to meet your application requirements.

Additional Resources

Download the Viking OEM Asphalt Market Brochure

Asphalt Pump Repair Service

Get all the details in the Viking Pump Product Pages

• • 34 Series
  • SG-05 Series
  • 124A Series
  • 224A 4224A 4224B 324A 4324A Series

Count on Edelmann for knowledgeable solutions and technical support for all your pump related needs. Let our expert pump professionals help you achieve smooth startups, reduced downtime, and lower maintenance costs.

Contact Edelmann for Selection Assistance