Gilsonite is a natural, resinous hydrocarbon. This natural asphalt is similar to hard petroleum asphalt and is often called a natural asphalt, asphaltite, uintaite, or asphaltum. Gilsonite is soluble in aromatic and aliphatic solvents, as well as petroleum asphalt. Due to its unique compatibility, Gilsonite is frequently used to harden softer petroleum products. Gilsonite in mass is a shiny, black substance similar in appearance to the mineral obsidian. It is brittle and can be easily crushed into a dark brown powder.
Gilsonite is found below the earth's surface in vertical veins or seams that are generally between two and six feet in width, but can be as wide as 28 feet. The veins are nearly parallel to each other and are oriented in a northwest to southeast direction. They extend many miles in length and as deep as 1500 feet. The vein will show up on the surface as a thin outcropping and gradually widen as it goes deeper. Due to the narrow mining face, Gilsonite is mined today, much like it was 50 or 100 years ago. The primary difference is that modern miners use pneumatic chipping hammers and mechanical hoists.
Detailed Product Description:
| Product | Gilsonite |
| Supply Ability | 100 MT up to 10,000 MT per Month or annual contracts |
| Origin | Iran |
| Packing | Lump or Powder in 20' or 40' Containers as per the customer requirement |
| Contract | Spot or contract period not more than 3 Months |
| Payment Types | 100% Irrevocable Letter of Credit or Cash |
| Inspections | By SGS or another compatible World class inspection organization at port of loading, confirming that the commodity meets the specifications supplied at loading port at sellers cost for quality and quantity |
| Price | Request for Price |
| SPECIFICATION | CH-108R | CH-109P | CH-110K | TEST METHOD |
| Softening Point°C |
165/185 |
185/205 |
165/220 |
ASTM E28-92 |
| Ash |
<16% |
<10% |
<5% |
ASTM D271-70M |
| Moisture |
<1.5% |
<1.5% |
<1.5% |
ASTM D-3173 |
| Penetration(25°C, 100gm, 5sec.) |
0-2 |
0-2 |
0-2 |
ASTM D-5 |
| Color in Mass |
Black |
Black |
Black |
|
| Flash Point°C |
316°C |
316°C |
316°C |
|
| Nitrogen |
3% Typical |
3% Typical |
3% Typical |
|
| Sulfur |
3-6% |
3-6% |
3-6% |
|
| Specific Gravity @ 25°C |
1.04 |
1.04 |
1.04 |
ASTM D-70 |
Gilsonite Consumption Usage:
1. Asphalt and Road Paving Sector:
For many years, Gilsonite has been used in the oilfield as an additive in drilling fluids. Gilsonite, in various grades and formulations, has been used to combat borehole instability problems, provide lubricity, especially in highly deviated holes, and more recently as a bridging agent to combat differential pressure sticking and provide a law invasion coring fluid. It has been well documented that appropriately formulated Gilsonite products can minimize hole collapse in formations containing water-sensitive, sloughing shales and reduce stuck pipe problems by forming a thin wall cake and an inter-matrix filter cake.
Gilsonite products are currently being widely used in water based, oil based, and synthetic based mud systems worldwide. Blended Gilsonite has proved to be very effective in all water-based systems, with the flagship product in this line being Bore-Plate(R) Shale Stabilizer.
2. Oil Sector
Gilsonite is used in drilling mud fluids and oil well cementing. Gilsonite, in a range of softening points and particle sizes, is a standard ingredient in oil-based drilling muds used in shales and other difficult geological formations. The addition of specially-treated Gilsonite to water-based drilling fluids helps minimize hole washout by stabilizing troublesome shales, and seals off highly permeable sands while reducing torque and drag. The addition of Gilsonite to oil well cements reduces slurry weight without loss of compressive strength and acts as an effective bridging and plugging agent to seal fractures in weak formations while cementing
3. Asphalt and Road Paving Sector
Gilsonite is used as a performance-enhancing agent for asphalt mixes. Gilsonite-modified paving mixes achieve higher PG grades and incorporate perfectly into the asphalt blend with no need for high shear milling as is the case with many other modifiers. Gilsonite-modified asphalts have higher stability, reduced deformation, reduced temperature susceptibility and increased resistance to water stripping than non-modified asphalts. Gilsonite is also used to make both solvent-based and emulsion pavement sealers with superior appearance and weathering properties.
4. Foundry Sector
Gilsonite is combined with coal and other ingredients as an additive in foundry sands to insure the quality of the molded part by improving mold release and the overall finish of metal castings.
5. Chemical Products Sector
Gilsonite combines with many other chemicals and materials that take advantage of its unique physical and chemical properties. Binder and coating applications in metallurgical, wood product, refractary and other industries further demonstrate the versatility and usefulness of this remarkable material.
6. Inks and Paints Sector
Iranian Gilsonite Resin is widely used as the primary carbon black wetting agent for black news inks and headset and gravure inks. Iranian Gilsonite Resin competes advantageously with petroleum-based hydrocarbon resins, phenolic resins and metal resinates, all of which it can complement or replace to various degrees. Various concentrations of Iranian Gilsonite Resin are used to manufacture law-rub-off news inks with superior gloss and tack properties. Special grades of Gilsonite called Selects are also standard ingredients in black ink formulations and are used as additives in asphaltic paints and varnishes.