Softening Point of Bituminous Material Ring and Ball Method

The ring and ball softening point is extensively used to evaluate the consistency of bituminous binders. It is a very simple one, consisting of placing a 3/8 in diameter steel ball on a binder sample placed in a steel ring and immersed in a water bath. Heat is applied to the water and its temperature is raised until a value is reached when the test sample has become sufficiently soft to allow the ball, enveloped in binder to fall down. The water temperature at which this occurs is called the ring and ball softening point.
The softening point is not a melting point; bituminous binders do not melt but instead gradually change from semi-solids to liquids on the application of heat. It is useful for determining the temperature susceptibilities of bitumen, which are to be used in thick films, such as in crack fillers. When two bitumen’s have the same penetration value, the one with the higher softening point is normally less susceptible to temperature changes.