The ring & ball apparatus is used to determine the temperature at which a sample of bituminous material loaded by a steel ball of 9.5 mm diameter, drops a specified distance when heated under specified conditions. It is used to determine softening point of bitumen.

Salient Features

The important features and specification of ring & ball apparatus are :

• The apparatus has a steel bracket with a sliding plate support.
• There are two holes of 10 mm diameter in the plate support where a ring & ball guide can be kept.
• There is a central hole on the plate support for inserting thermometer.
• The apparatus is provided with electrical heating options, with a heater and energy regulator, which can operate on 220 V 50 Hz, single phase AC supply.
• The apparatus is supplied with a heat resistant glass beaker, a hand stirrer and two steel balls of 9.5 mm diameter.

Besides this, there is an electrically operated Ring & Ball apparatus, which is supplied with an additional thermoplastic hot plate, which is suitable for operation at 230 V AC supply.

Applications

Some of the areas where the Ring and Ball Apparatus finds application are :

• Asphalt & Bitumen Industry
• Petroleum Industry
• Calibration Laboratories & Test Houses
• Construction Industry
• Research & Development
• Oil & Gas Plants
• Paint Industry