This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles

for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

Designation: D7226 − 13 (Reapproved 2017)

Standard Test Method for

Determining the Viscosity of Emulsified Asphalts Using a
Rotational Paddle Viscometer1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D7226; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope 3.1.1.1 Discussion—The SI unit of viscosity is the Pascal

1.1 This test method utilizes the rotational paddle viscom- second (Pa·s).3
eter to measure the viscosity of emulsified asphalt. It is 4. Summary of Test Method
applicable to all the emulsified asphalts described in Specifi-
cations D977 and D2397. 4.1 The rotational paddle viscometer method is used to
measure the apparent viscosity of emulsified asphalt at 50 °C,
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as 25 °C, or other agreed-upon temperatures. A microprocessor
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this circuitry system functioning in tandem with a temperature
standard. probe and equipped with internal electronic sensors detects and
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the analyzes the preset temperature. A paddle is immersed in the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the emulsified asphalt sample and is rotated at 100 r/min. The
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- apparent viscosity of the sample is obtained and read from the
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter- electronic display or an optional printer.
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
5. Significance and Use
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard- 5.1 The viscosity of emulsified asphalts characterizes their
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the flow properties and affects their utility at 50 °C or at other
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom- temperatures. The sprayability and workability of an emulsi-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical fied asphalt are directly related to its viscosity for many
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee. applications. The material must be thin enough to be sprayed
yet thick enough such that it will not flow from the crown or
2. Referenced Documents grade of the road. For mixing-grade emulsified asphalts, the
viscosity will affect its workability and resulting film thickness
2.1 ASTM Standards:2
on the aggregate. This test method is useful to measure the
D140 Practice for Sampling Bituminous Materials
apparent viscosity of emulsified asphalt at a temperature of
D977 Specification for Emulsified Asphalt
50 °C, 25 °C, or another agreed-upon temperature. The preset
D2397 Specification for Cationic Emulsified Asphalt
temperature and rotational speed at 100 r/min allow for an
E11 Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and Test
automated and consistent determination of an emulsified as-
Sieves
phalt viscosity within a short time.
3. Terminology 6. Apparatus
3.1 Definitions: 6.1 The rotational paddle viscometer test system consists of
3.1.1 viscosity, n—ratio of shear stress to shear rate. a paddle, temperature probe, sample cup, the sample cup cover,
a means of controlling the sample temperature to within
60.1 °C, and a readout system to display viscosity. The
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D04 on Road dimensions of the sample cup and paddle are shown in Figs.
and Paving Materials and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D04.42 on 1-3.
Emulsified Asphalt Test.
Current edition approved Oct. 1, 2017. Published October 2017. Originally 6.2 Thermometer—Any thermometric device can be used to
approved in 2006. Last previous edition approved in 2013 as D7226 – 13. DOI: monitor the temperature of the sample being conditioned for
10.1520/D7226-13R17. testing.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on 3
The centimetre gram second (cgs) unit of viscosity is the poise (dynes/cm2) and
the ASTM website. is equivalent to 0.1 Pa·s. One centipoise (cP) is one millipascal second (mPa·s).

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 D7226 − 13 (2017)

FIG. 1 Paddle Dimensions

FIG. 2 Sample Cup Dimensions

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 D7226 − 13 (2017)

FIG. 3 Paddle and Sample Cup

6.3 Sieve—An 850-µm sieve or a 20-mesh strainer of wire ηs = certified viscosity of the standard at the test temperature,
cloth, framed or unframed, conforming to Specification E11 is and
used. η = measured viscosity at 25 °C.
6.4 Oven/Water Bath—An oven/water bath capable of main- 8.3 Calibrate the rotational paddle viscometer in the same
taining the required testing temperature within the limit of manner as above, using a viscosity standard for 50 °C.
63 °C.
9. Procedure
7. Hazards 9.1 Obtain a representative sample of the material for
7.1 Warning—Mercury has been designated by the EPA testing using standard procedures as specified in Practice
and many state agencies as a hazardous material that can cause D140.
central nervous system, kidney, and liver damage. Mercury, or 9.2 Turn on the viscometer power and set to the test
its vapor, may be hazardous to health and corrosive to temperature and attach the paddle to the viscometer. Allow the
materials. Caution should be taken when handling mercury and instrument to warm up for a minimum of 30 min.
mercury-containing products. See the applicable product Ma-
terial Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details and the EPA’s 9.3 Emulsified asphalts with a viscosity testing requirement
website – http://www.epa.gov/mercury/faq.htm – for additional of 50 °C shall be heated to 50 6 3 °C in the original sample
information. Users should be aware that selling mercury and/or container in a water bath or oven as described herein. If the
mercury-containing products in your state may be prohibited sample temperature is greater or less than 50 °C then it should
by state law. be conditioned to the required test temperature. Pour the
sample into a clean sample cup through the 850-µm sieve or
8. Calibration and Standardization 20-mesh strainer to the fill line of the viscometer sample cup.
8.1 Calibrate the rotational paddle viscometer at periodic 9.4 Emulsified asphalts with a viscosity testing temperature
intervals or as required by measuring the viscosity at 25 °C of requirement of 25 °C should be conditioned at 25 6 3 °C in the
an appropriate standard following the procedure in Section 9. original sample container to achieve homogeneity. Pour the
sample into the sample cup after passing through an 850-µm or
8.2 If the measured viscosity standard differs from the
20-mesh sieve.
certified value by more than 11 %, calculate a correction factor,
F, for the viscometer as follows: 9.5 Pull the heater block forward and clear of the paddle.
Place the filled sample cup into the heater block and rotate the
F 5 η s ⁄η
cup to lock it in place. Push the heater block back until it stops
where: beneath the paddle.

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 D7226 − 13 (2017)
9.6 Raise the heater block to submerge the paddle into the 11.1.1 Single-Operator Precision—Duplicate results by the
sample. Verify that the paddle and temperature probe are same operator should not be considered suspect unless they
totally submerged in the sample. The paddle should be free to differ by more that the following amount:
rotate. Place the sample cover over the sample cup. Test Temperature Viscosity Repeatability
°C mPa.s % of the mean
9.7 Verify that the temperature of the sample is a few 25 25 to 200 8.2
degrees lower than the target temperature before beginning the 50 100 to 1000 12.9
automatic test sequence then enter RUN TEST. The rotational
11.1.2 Multilaboratory Precision—The results submitted by
speed is preset by the manufacturer to 100 r/min.
each of two laboratories should not be considered suspect
9.8 After the test is completed, record the viscosity reading unless they differ by more than the following amount:
from the viscometer and, if appropriate, apply the correction
Test Temperature Viscosity Reproducibility
factor as described in Section 8. °C mPa.s % of the mean
25 25 to 200 22
10. Report 50 100 to 1000 64

10.1 Report the apparent viscosity in mPa·s to the nearest 11.2 Bias—No information can be presented on the basis of
0.1 mPa·s from the viscometer. the procedure because no material having the accepted refer-
10.2 Report the temperature to the nearest 0.1 °C. ence value is available.

11. Precision and Bias 12. Keywords

11.1 The following criteria should be used for judging the 12.1 emulsified asphalt; rotational; rotational paddle vis-
acceptability of results (95 % probability):4 cometer; viscosity

4
Research Reports RR:D04-1037 and RR:D04-1038 present the results of the
Interlaboratory Study used to establish the precision and bias statement for ASTM
D7226, Standard Test Method for Determining the Viscosity of Emulsified Asphalt
Using a Rotational Paddle Viscometer. The collaborative study included respec-
tively 14 labs and 15 labs that used method D7226 to analyze the viscosity of several
types of emulsified asphalt of varying viscosity levels, including three different
standards. The research reports present summary method performance statistics as
well as the measurement data used to calculate results for the study.

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