Bitumen
Bitumen is the heaviest product of crude oil refining. Most of it binds the aggregate in asphalt roads; the rest goes into roofing and waterproofing.
Graded by hardness
Road engineers choose bitumen by how hard it is at service temperature. Penetration grades state how far a standard needle sinks, in tenths of a millimeter: 50/70 is harder than 70/100.
Climate and traffic decide the grade. Hot regions and heavy traffic need harder binders; cold regions need softer ones that resist cracking.
- Product type
- Vacuum residue, semi-solid at room temperature
- Governing standards
- EN 12591 penetration grades; AASHTO M 320 performance grades
- Sold by
- The metric ton
- Typical buyers
- Road contractors, asphalt producers and roofing manufacturers
- Carried in
- Heated bitumen tankers, or packed in drums and bags
What EN 12591 requires of grade 50/70
| Property | Reference | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Penetration at 25 °C | 50 to 70 tenths of a millimeter | The measure of hardness that names the grade. |
| Softening point | 46 °C to 54 °C | Shows how the binder will behave on a hot road surface. |
| Flash point | 230 °C minimum | Bitumen is handled hot, so the margin of safety must be wide. |
| Solubility | 99.0% minimum | Confirms the binder is free of mineral matter and coke. |
| Resistance to hardening | Tested after heating in a rolling thin-film oven | Predicts how the binder ages during mixing and laying. |
Limits are those published in the named standards, given for reference. The specification written into the sales contract governs.
Grades a buyer may ask for
Penetration grades
Grades such as 35/50, 50/70 and 70/100 under EN 12591.
Viscosity grades
Grades such as VG 30 and VG 40, used in India and other markets.
Performance grades
Grades such as PG 64-22, specified in North America by the pavement temperatures a binder must withstand.
Oxidized bitumen
Air-blown grades for roofing, pipe coating and industrial use.
Storage and shipping
- In bulk. Bulk bitumen ships hot, at about 150 °C, in dedicated tankers with heated tanks.
- Packed. Smaller lots ship in steel drums of about 180 kg, in polymer bags or in heated tank containers.
- Inspection. An independent inspector normally samples and certifies the parcel at the loading port.
- Season. Demand follows the paving season, so delivery timing affects price and availability.
Storage and transport are provided by third-party terminal operators and carriers. We coordinate them. How storage and shipping are arranged
What to send with your enquiry
- Grade and the governing standard
- Bulk, drums or bags
- Quantity in tonnes
- Destination port or terminal and preferred Incoterm
- Delivery window
Send these details and we will tell you whether we can source the product and on what terms. Price, quantity and specification are fixed in the sales contract.