What is Gilsonite?
Gilsonite ( Natural Asphalt or Natural Bitumen ) , also recognized as Uintahite or Asphaltum, is a Bitumen-impregnated rock (Asphaltite) that primarily originates from Utah and Colorado in the United States of America and Kermanshah province in Iran. It is a naturally produced solid hydrocarbon bitumen. Although discovered in various other regions around the world, its large-scale production is predominantly observed only in Kermanshah of Iran.
Gilsonite or Uintahite is a naturally produced hydrocarbon resin with properties that improve the performance of critical applications through multiple industries comprising but not limited to oil and gas, ink, paint, construction, asphalt, and foundry.
Gilsonite ore is mined in underground shafts and look like shiny black obsidian. Initially discovered in the 1860s, about twenty-five years later in the mid-80’s, Samuel H. Gilson promoted it as a varnish, electrical insulator, and waterproofing complex.
This distinctive mineral is utilized in more than 160 products, from dark-colored printing inks and paints, to oil well drilling mud and cements, asphalt modifiers, foundry sand additives, and an extensive range of chemical products. This natural asphalt is comparable to hard petroleum asphalt and is frequently entitled as Natural Asphalt , Asphaltite, Uintahite, or Asphaltum. Gilsonite is soluble in aromatic and aliphatic solvents and petroleum asphalt. Thanks to its exceptional compatibility, Gilsonite is often used to harden softer petroleum products. Gilsonite in form is a shiny, black material alike the mineral obsidian. It is brittle and can be easily crushed into a dark brown powder. As an additive to asphalt cement or hot mix asphalt, Gilsonite helps to produce dramatically stabilized paving mixes.
Bitumen, has many applications in various industries. These applications are defined and determined for each industry; and that industry uses raw material or finished product and processed bitumen as needed.
Bitumen sources are bitumen mines or gilsonite. That’s why it’s also called bitumen. It exists in auxiliary mines in a number of countries. These include Iraq, Australia, Russia, Canada, Venezuela and Russia.
There is also large bitumen and gilsonite mine in Iran, often located in the western and southern parts of the country. Ilam, Kermanshah and Khuzestan are some of the cities where Gilsonite mines are located in Iran.
Bitumen or Gilsonite Solid has a variety of properties that you will briefly get to know later.
History of (Natural Asphalt or Natural Bitumen) Gilsonite
The mineral predominantly known as Gilsonite (Natural Asphalt or Natural Bitumen) was discovered in the early 1860’s, but it was only in the mid-80’s when Samuel H. Gilson started to endorse it as a water-resistant varnish for wooden pilings, as an insulation for wire cable, and as a unique coating for various applications. The initial promotion of the ore was so prosperous that in 1888, Gilsonand a partner established the first company to mine and market Gilsonite (Natural Asphalt) on a more viable scale. Gilsonite was initially offered as “Selects” and “Fines”; the low softening point ore with conchoidal fracture was known as “Selects”, and the higher softening point ore with a pencillated structure was known as “Fines”. Selects demanded a higher value than Fines due to its higher purity, decent solubility, and effectiveness in the three main protective coating industries, paint, stain, and varnish. However, time and technology have transformed this taxonomy. Natural Bitumen processes nowadays remove most of the inert impurities and on the other hand, innovative, more potent solvents make the higher softening point grades more appealing to potential customers. Today, Gilsonite is classified by two parameters, softening point (a rough measure of solubility) and particle size. All grades convey quality far better than those of rudimentary Gilsonite promoted in the 1880’s.
Gilsonite is unsurprisingly superior
Natural Gilsonite is safe and non-toxic. It is a very pure resinous rock made of a combination of various hydrocarbons. This distinctive natural combination, rich in nitrogen and beta- carotenes is a highly efficient, versatile, and cost-effective additive for many industrial applications.
Gilsonite proposes momentous health benefits over synthetic products. Natural Bitumen proposes momentous health benefits over synthetic products.
Gilsonite is:
Non-toxic (unlike coal or fly ash)
Non-carcinogenic
Non-mutagenic
No extreme safety measures are needed to handle Gilsonite
Passes Gulf of Mexico EPA discharge requirements for deep-water operations.
PURITY AND QUALITY
Gilsonite is found in almost straight, vertical veins across an area roughly 100 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide. Gilsonite was formed by a unique geologic event millions of years ago, that produced a protopetroleum deposit established at that time to seal large surface cracks, later hardening into the pure resinous rock excavated today. Natural Bitumen is hand-mined in underground shafts by means of pneumatic jackhammers. We classify Gilsonite by temperature grade, dry and screen it, size it to customer specifications and filter it through extensive quality control measures before shipping to over 80 countries test.
Gilsonite applications in various industries
Using Gilsonite as fuel
This may be the simplest application to expect from bitumen. Gilsonite is used as fuel in furnaces and other applications. However, this material is used as fuel after becoming a coke. Coke has a high purity in terms of carbon content, and due to its very low ash content, it is considered as a proper fuel.
Application of bitumen in insulated coatings
Gilsonite, like refinery bitumen, has a very high insulating property. This feature also makes it a very suitable coating for all types of moisture. These coatings can also make the various components of industrial installations resistant to corrosion. Therefore, one of the most common applications of bitumen is its application in the production of insulation products.
Moisture coatings are manufactured in various types and each has its own application. As a simple example, isogam sheets are one of the components in insulation industry; they have small and large applications in construction and industrial applications.
Using Gilsonite in the oil and gas industry
Production of coatings for oil and gas pipelines using bitumen is one of the most important applications of this material in the oil and gas industry. Corrosion, rust, and corrosion of oil and gas pipes are among the most important problems in the industry, which failure to control can result in high annual costs. In some studies, this number is estimated to be around 3 to 5 percent of GDP for Iran.
Natural asphalt and road construction
The primary raw material for the road construction industry is asphalt. Asphalt is produced in both natural and refined form. Natural asphalt, or Gilsonite, is less expensive and less costly to set up due to the lack of bitumen production process.
Other Gilsonite applications
The use of Gilsonite in the production of drilling cement and chemicals such as adhesives and sealants are other applications of this material. It can also have much more varied and valuable applications if processed correctly.
