Electricfor has designed and manufactured a flow heater that can increase the temperature of asphalt bitumen up to 150ēC. It is an industrial machine capable of working with a mass flow of 20,000 kg/hour. Its total power, 200 kW, is distributed in different stages through our electrical heating elements with adjustable temperature control to achieve better heat optimization.

 The design carried out by Electricfor has contributed considerably to the improvement of this process. Our flow heater, insulated with rock wool and wrapped in stainless steel sheet, is four meters long so that the fluid can circulate through the interior route in the most efficient way possible. It includes electrical heating elements with a very low surface heating charge and different probes strategically located. This way, it is possible to take advantage of the heat produced by each electrical element with a clear objective: to guarantee the conservation of the chemical and binding conditions (viscosity and density) of the asphalt bitumen.

 Asphalt bitumen is a hydrocarbon binder derived from petroleum. Its agglomerating properties allow it to join different materials, while its thermoplastic properties make it soften with heat and harden with cold. In other words, its viscoelastic behavior and its consistency depend directly on the temperature applied to it.

 Its easy handling and its adequate behavior at service temperatures make it a perfect material to give cohesion to the bituminous mixtures that make up the pavements, wrapping and compacting the aggregates. It therefore influences the grip and stability of the asphalted ground.

 Controlling the temperature of the asphalt bitumen in a fluid state is essential not only to be able to handle it as a binding material, but also to avoid the risk of fire. Its flash point varies between 175 and 235ēC. In this sense, flow heaters use an immediate heating system that allows you to raise the temperature of the fluid circulating inside the tank as required.