scope:

Scope and field of application

The method specified in this standard is used to determine the ring-and-ball softening point of bitumens which have a ring-and-ball softening point of not less than 25ºC and not more than 160°C. It may also be applied for preparations based on special coal tar pitch, e.g. for binders such as road tar, non-ageing road tar, pitch bitumen and bituminous pitch, which have a corresponding ring-and-ball softening point.

The method is also applicable for binders which have been recovered either from finished products (e.g. for bitumens recovered from cutback, see DIN 52 041). or from asphalt (see DIN 1996 Part 6), or which are derived from preliminary test procedures (e.g. from the distillation analysis of fluxed bitumen, see DIN 52 024). A lower precision is to be expected in such cases.

The method is, however, only conditionally applicable for such binders if they contain fillers. Depending on the particle size and proportion of the fillers concerned, lower values than those specified in clause 8 for the precision are also to be expected.