Hot mix asphalt plants · Batch versus parallel-flow and counterflow drum plants, mixer size and cycle time, dryer, RAP use, burner fuel, baghouse dust control
An asphalt mixing plant dries and heats aggregate, adds liquid asphalt cement (bitumen) and filler, and mixes them to make hot mix asphalt (HMA) for paving, either in weighed batches or continuously in a drum. Ask three things first: which plant type (batch or drum, stationary or mobile) and output the work needs, how much reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) the plant must handle, and what burner fuel, dust collection and emission limits apply.
Batch, parallel-flow drum and counterflow drum hot mix asphalt plants, stationary, skid-mounted or mobile, with their burners, baghouses and storage. Bitumen emulsion and modified-bitumen plants, asphalt pavers and cold-recycling equipment are outside this page except where compared.
01
EPA's AP-42 section 11.1 (Hot Mix Asphalt Plants, 2004) states that aggregate and RAP make up over 92% by weight of HMA and describes four plant types: batch, continuous mix, parallel-flow drum and counterflow drum. In a batch plant, cold-feed aggregate is dried in a rotary dryer, lifted by bucket elevator to vibrating screens that sort it into up to four hot bins, weighed with asphalt cement and mixed in a pug mill: dry mixing 6–10 seconds, then with asphalt; "total mixing time usually is less than 60 seconds". In drum plants the drum both dries and mixes, with asphalt flow controlled by a pump linked to the aggregate and RAP weigh scales. [1]
Sinosun's SAP stationary batch series lists rated capacities of 64–320 t/h with mixers of 800–4,000 kg, a 45 s mixing period, four to six cold-feed bins, drying drums from 6.5 m × Φ1.5 m to 10 m × Φ2.7 m, four to six screen decks, installed power of 154–860 kW and a finished-product temperature of 140–180 °C. [2]
Editorial calculation: a 2,000 kg mixer on a 45 s cycle makes 3,600 / 45 = 80 batches an hour, or 160 t/h, matching Sinosun's SAP160 rating; any longer cycle (for example for RAP or special mixes) reduces output in proportion. [2]
Give the supplier the mix types and specifications, required output in t/h and daily tonnage, RAP percentage, aggregate moisture and number of fractions, fuel available (gas, diesel, heavy oil, coal), bitumen storage and heating, emission and noise limits, site layout and power, storage silo needs, and whether the plant must be mobile.
02
AP-42 states that "a counterflow drum mix plant can normally process RAP at ratios up to 50 percent with little or no observed effect upon emissions", that its asphalt mixing zone sits behind the burner flame away from hot exhaust gases, and that parallel-flow drum plants mix in the combustion gas stream, which may raise organic emissions. It reports that virtually all plants built today can process RAP, that 70–90% of US HMA is made with natural gas, that aggregate moisture "typically stabilizes between 3 to 5 percent by weight", and that on average 5% of cold aggregate feed is finer than 74 µm. [1]
Sinosun lists a two-stage dust collection system (gravity collector and Nomex baghouse) with emission concentration of 20 mg/Nm³ or less, temperature sensors to protect the filter bags, fuel consumption of 6.5 kg or less per tonne of product and burners for heavy oil, diesel, coal, natural gas or LPG. [2]
Editorial note: ask the supplier for guaranteed stack emissions under your permit conditions, the maximum RAP percentage at full output, and fuel consumption at your aggregate moisture.
The Federal Highway Administration's archived recycling manual explains why drum plants need a modified RAP feed: RAP "cannot be processed in normal drum mix plants since excessive 'blue smoke' is produced when the RAP comes in contact with the burner flame". In the center-entry method, RAP enters the drum downstream of the flame and is heated by virgin aggregate superheated to about 260 °C (500 °F). In a double-barrel drum the inner drum superheats aggregate to 315–343 °C (600–650 °F) when running 50 percent RAP, about 1½ minutes of mixing takes place in the outer shell, and the shell stays at about 49 °C (120 °F). [4]
FHWA gives about 70 percent as the maximum RAP for a drum mix plant and about 50 percent as the practical limit. In the state survey it reports, 50 percent was the maximum RAP allowed in drum-mix base course by 32 percent of states, while 22 percent set no limit. State the RAP percentage you intend to run when asking for rated output and emission guarantees. [4]
03
Suppliers linked to this page list asphalt mixing plants; each card links to the page reviewed.
The suppliers reviewed list batch, drum, mobile and containerised asphalt plants; ask each for rated output at stated moisture, mixer size and cycle, dryer and burner, RAP system, baghouse and emission guarantee, control system and storage silos.
04
The US federal performance standard for hot mix asphalt facilities, 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart I, applies to dryers, hot-aggregate screening, handling, storing and weighing systems, mineral filler loading and storage, mixing systems, and the loading, transfer and storage systems tied to emission controls, where construction or modification began after June 11, 1973. Once the initial performance test is done, gases from these units may not contain particulate matter above 90 mg/dscm (0.04 gr/dscf) and may not show 20 percent opacity or greater. [3]
The rule names the test methods: EPA Method 5 for particulate concentration, with each run sampling for at least 60 minutes and 0.90 dscm (31.8 dscf), and Method 9 for opacity. A baghouse figure quoted by a supplier in mg/Nm³ is not directly the same basis as mg/dscm (dry standard cubic metre), so ask for the guarantee stated in the units and test method your permit uses. [3]
Editorial note: the federal figure is a ceiling; state or local permits and other countries can set tighter limits, so send the supplier the permit limit and ask for a stack test guarantee against it, covering the dryer and every listed transfer point.
05
This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's design.
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Cold feed bins | Meter aggregate fractions. [1] [2] | Number; size. |
| Drying drum and burner | Dry and heat aggregate. [1] [2] | Drum size; fuel. |
| Bucket elevator and screens | Lift and grade hot aggregate (batch). [1] | Decks. |
| Hot bins and weigh hoppers | Batch by weight. [1] | Bins; scales. |
| Mixer (pug mill) or drum mixing zone | Mix aggregate and binder. [1] [2] | Size; cycle. |
| RAP system | Feed recycled pavement. [1] | Percentage. |
| Dust collector (baghouse) | Control PM. [1] [2] | Emission limit. |
| Bitumen tanks and silos | Store binder and mix. [1] [2] | Capacity; heating. |
| RAP entry (center-entry collar or double-barrel outer shell) | Adds RAP away from the burner flame so superheated aggregate heats it. [4] | Entry method; maximum RAP %. |
06
An asphalt plant quotation needs values for your work. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Production Capacity (tonnes/hour) | E.g. 64–320 t/h. [2] | At stated moisture. |
| Mixer Capacity (kilograms/batch) | E.g. 800–4,000 kg. [2] | Size; cycle. |
| Aggregate Storage Capacity (cubic meters) | Cold bins, e.g. 4 × 8 m³. [2] | Bins. |
| Drum Dryer Diameter (meters) | E.g. Φ1.5–2.7 m. [2] | Size; burner. |
| Asphalt Tank Capacity (liters) | Binder storage. | Volume; heating. |
| Power Consumption (kilowatts) | E.g. 154–860 kW installed. [2] | Installed and running. |
| Mix Temperature Range (degrees Celsius) | E.g. 140–180 °C. [2] | Range. |
| Dust Collection Efficiency (percentage) | Emission ≤20 mg/Nm³ stated. [2] [1] | Guarantee. |
| Operating Temperature (°C) | Climate. | Range. |
| Noise Level (dB(A)) | Site limits. | Value. |
| Fuel Consumption (kg/t) | E.g. ≤6.5 kg/t. [2] | At your moisture. |
| Total Weight (t) | Transport and foundations. | Weights. |
07
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Mixes: [types; specifications] Output: [t/h; t/day] RAP: [percentage] Aggregate: [fractions; moisture] Fuel: [gas; diesel; heavy oil; coal] Emissions: [permit limits; noise] Plant: [batch or drum; stationary or mobile; silos]
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AP-42 describes batch plants weighing and mixing each batch in a pug mill, while drum plants dry and mix continuously in the drum. [1]
AP-42 says "a counterflow drum mix plant can normally process RAP at ratios up to 50 percent with little or no observed effect upon emissions". [1]
AP-42 says "total mixing time usually is less than 60 seconds"; Sinosun lists a 45 s mixing period. [1] [2]
Under the US federal rule 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart I, stack gases may not exceed 90 mg/dscm (0.04 gr/dscf) particulate or show 20 percent opacity or greater. [3]
FHWA says RAP in contact with the burner flame produces excessive "blue smoke"; center-entry and double-barrel drums add it downstream, heated by aggregate superheated to about 260 °C or 315–343 °C. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-11. EPA's AP-42 section 11.1 is a US government process and emissions reference (2004), and 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart I sets the federal stack limit; FHWA's archived recycling manual covers RAP in drum plants; Sinosun describes its own plants. Emission limits for your plant come from your permit.
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