Bitumen coating of particulate material
AssigneeTotalfinaelf Bitumen Limited
InventorLeslie Hoad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for bitumen coating particulate material comprises a chamber (2) having baffles or deflectors (4), a particulate material inlet (8) and a particulate material outlet (10). In use, a foamed bituminus formulation is directed into the chamber via an outlet (12) and an air stream is directed from an inlet (14) towards the bituminous formulation, to atomise the formulation. The atomised formulation then contacts particulate material which passes in a convoluted path through the chamber via inlet (8). Prior to contact with the atomised bituminous formulation, heated air which passes into the chamber via a second gas inlet (16) heats the surface of the stone. After the particulate material has been coated it is discharged via outlet (10) for subsequent use.
Claims17
A method of bitumen coating particulate material, wherein particulate material to be coated is introduced into a chamber and arranged to flow in a convoluted flow path and a foamed formulation is dispersed by forcing the formulation through an opening into an application zone of the chamber where the formulation contacts said particulate material to be coated, wherein the method involves directing a fluid, separately from the formulation, into the application zone via a gas inlet, to arrest the velocity of the particulate material in the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.