Bitumen 80/100 is a soft penetration grade with a needle penetration of 80 to 100 dmm at 25 °C, tested to ASTM D5. It is the paving grade of choice where winters are real and summers are moderate: soft enough to stay flexible through freeze–thaw cycles, stiff enough to carry light and medium traffic. ZUMRUT INT Co. supplies it in steel drums, jumbo bags, bitubags and bulk, with a batch certificate of analysis issued before every shipment.
What is Bitumen 80/100?
Penetration grading measures hardness. A standard needle is dropped into a bitumen sample held at 25 °C, under a 100 g load, for five seconds. The depth it reaches, in tenths of a millimetre, is the penetration value. Bitumen 80/100 means the needle travels 80 to 100 tenths of a millimetre — 8 to 10 mm — which makes it one of the softer commercial paving grades.
It is produced by vacuum distillation of crude oil residue and is thermoplastic: it softens when heated and re-hardens on cooling, without any chemical change. That reversibility is what allows it to be melted at the plant, mixed with aggregate, laid, and then set into a weather-resistant pavement.
Because it is softer than 60/70, it reaches workable viscosity at a lower temperature. That has two consequences worth knowing before you specify it: mixing and compaction cost less energy, and the binder stays flexible at low service temperatures instead of cracking.
Compare the full range on our penetration grade bitumen page, or cross-reference grading systems on the grade equivalence chart.
Where Bitumen 80/100 is used
Road construction in temperate and cold climates
Bitumen 80/100 is the binder in the base, binder and wearing courses of flexible pavements where the annual average pavement temperature sits below about 20 °C. In practice that means Europe, Central Asia, East Asia, the highlands of East Africa and anywhere with a genuine winter.
The reason is thermal cracking. When a pavement cools, the binder contracts and tensile stress builds in the surface. A harder grade reaches its breaking stress sooner and the surface cracks transversely. A softer grade relieves that stress by deforming slightly instead. This is why specifying 60/70 in a cold region often produces a pavement that performs well for one summer and then cracks over its first winter.
Traffic matters as much as climate. Bitumen 80/100 suits light to medium traffic: urban streets, residential roads, rural networks, secondary highways, car parks and service areas. Under heavy, slow or channelised loading in warm weather it will rut, which is where 60/70 or 40/50 belong instead.
Feedstock for other bitumen products
Bitumen emulsion
The soft base grade used in manufacturing anionic and cationic emulsions for tack coats, slurry seals and surface dressing.
Cutback bitumen
Blended with kerosene or gas oil to produce RC, MC and SC cutbacks for prime coats and cold-weather patching.
Polymer modified binder
The base for SBS and APP modified binders where one unmodified grade cannot cover both temperature ends.
Waterproofing membranes
A base bitumen in modified roll sheets, particularly for products installed in colder regions.
Airport and industrial paving
Runways, taxiway shoulders and industrial yards where loading is light and winter flexibility matters more than summer stiffness.
Maintenance and overlays
Thin overlays and patching mixes, where lower mixing temperature widens the workable window on short jobs.
Bitumen 80/100 compared with 60/70 and 40/50
Grade selection comes down to three things: climate, traffic load and application. The table below shows where 80/100 sits against the two grades most often considered alongside it.
| Property | Bitumen 40/50 | Bitumen 60/70 | Bitumen 80/100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penetration @25 °C | 40–50 dmm (hardest) | 60–70 dmm (medium) | 80–100 dmm (softest) |
| Softening point | 52–60 °C | 49–56 °C | 42–50 °C |
| Climate | Very hot, tropical | Warm to hot, above 20 °C | Temperate to cold |
| Traffic load | Very heavy, slow-moving | Heavy, highway | Light to medium |
| Rutting resistance | Highest | High | Moderate |
| Low-temperature flexibility | Lower | Moderate | Best of the three |
| Mixing temperature | Highest | High | Lowest — less energy per tonne |
| Typical markets | Gulf states, equatorial Africa | Africa, SE Asia, Middle East, South Asia | Europe, Central Asia, East Asia |
If you are choosing between 60/70 and 80/100, the deciding question is not which is better but where the pavement sits. Above an annual average pavement temperature of roughly 20 °C, 60/70 resists summer rutting better. Below it, 80/100 resists winter cracking better. Send us the project location and we will work it through with you rather than quote the grade you named.
Density of Bitumen 80/100
Specific gravity at 25 °C is 1.01–1.06 g/cm³, typically about 1.02 g/cm³, measured to ASTM D70. At that figure one metric ton occupies roughly 980 litres at 25 °C — the conversion you need when buying or shipping by volume rather than weight.
Density falls as temperature rises, which matters at the plant. A volumetric meter calibrated at ambient temperature will under-dose the mix if the binder is metered hot without correction. The table gives indicative figures across the working range.
| Temperature | Approximate density | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 15 °C | ~1.03–1.04 g/cm³ | Ambient drum and bag storage |
| 25 °C | 1.01–1.06 g/cm³ | ASTM D70 laboratory specification value |
| 60 °C | ~0.99–1.00 g/cm³ | Warm climate outdoor storage |
| 135 °C | ~0.975 g/cm³ | Kinematic viscosity reference temperature |
| 150 °C | ~0.960–0.970 g/cm³ | HMA mixing and drum loading |
Values at elevated temperature are indicative, based on standard thermal expansion coefficients for penetration grade bitumen. Exact figures vary slightly with crude source and refinery process.
Packing and container loading
Packing choice drives delivered cost and determines what handling equipment you need at destination. The figures below are exact loading quantities for freight booking.
| Packing | Unit weight | 20′ container | 40′ container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jumbo bag with steel cage and pallet | 1,000 kg | 20 bags / 20 MT | 26 bags / 26 MT |
| Jumbo bag, no cage or pallet | 1,000 kg | Not possible | 20 bags / 20 MT |
| Jumbo bag, no cage or pallet | 1,200 kg | Not possible | 20 bags / 24 MT |
| Bitubag | 300 kg | 24 MT | Not possible |
| New steel drum | 180 kg | 110 drums / ~20 MT | 135 drums / 24.3 MT |
| New steel drum | 150 kg | 110 drums / 16.5 MT | 135 drums / 20.25 MT |
| Bulk truck tanker | — | 24 MT per tanker | — |
| Bulk sea vessel | — | 1,000 MT minimum | — |
Choosing between them. The caged jumbo bag is the usual format for road projects, because the cage lets bags stack safely and handle on a standard forklift. Uncaged bags cost less per tonne but need a 40′ container and a crane or heavy forklift at destination. The 300 kg bitubag reaches 24 MT in a single 20′ box, which makes it the choice where port access or freight routing favours 20′ containers.
Drums remain the most widely used export format. They allow on-site storage, controlled individual melting, and they work with the drum melters available in most markets. The 150 kg drum is preferred where handling is manual — remote sites, smaller contractors, or anywhere without mechanical lifting.
Our minimum order is 100 MT, roughly four to six containers depending on packing. Mixed grades within one shipment are accepted provided each grade reaches a full container. For quantities above 1,000 MT, shipment by dedicated bitumen tanker vessel is available from Jebel Ali, Mersin or Iskenderun.
Storage, handling and safety
| Process stage | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tank storage | 120–140 °C | Lower than for harder grades; prolonged heat accelerates oxidation and hardens the binder |
| HMA mixing plant | 140–160 °C | Aggregate must be dry and preheated to the same range |
| Loading into drums or bags | 145–165 °C | Seal containers immediately after filling |
| Compaction on site | 110–140 °C | The lower end of this range is workable, which widens the paving window in cool weather |
| Flash point | min 250 °C | Per ASTM D92. All operations must stay well below this |
Store drums and bags in a dry, shaded area away from direct sunlight, moisture and open flame. Drums stay upright and fully sealed. Jumbo bags are not stacked more than two high unless caged. Maximum recommended shelf life is 12 months from production date under correct conditions — the shelf life and storage guide covers retest thresholds and what goes wrong when drums are stored on their side.
Safety. Hot bitumen causes severe burns and adheres to skin, so heat-resistant gloves, face protection, long sleeves and closed footwear are required wherever the material is handled hot. Heating and application areas need ventilation; vapour can irritate the respiratory tract. Do not use water on a bitumen fire — it flashes the water to steam and ejects burning material. Dry powder and foam are the correct media. Full handling, exposure and first-aid guidance is in the safety data sheet, which we issue with every shipment and on request before order.
Technical specification
| Property | Method | Unit | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penetration @25 °C, 100 g, 5 s | ASTM D5 | dmm | 80 | 100 |
| Softening point (ring and ball) | ASTM D36 | °C | 42 | 50 |
| Ductility @25 °C | ASTM D113 | cm | 100 | — |
| Flash point (Cleveland open cup) | ASTM D92 | °C | 250 | — |
| Specific gravity @25 °C | ASTM D70 | g/cm³ | 1.01 | 1.06 |
| Solubility in CS₂ | ASTM D4 | wt % | 99.5 | — |
| Loss on heating | ASTM D6 | wt % | — | 0.2 |
| Drop in penetration after heating | ASTM D5 / D6 | % | — | 20 |
| Spot test | AASHTO T102 | — | — | Negative |
These are the specification limits. A batch certificate of analysis with the actual test results is issued before every shipment, carrying the lot number and production date rather than generic typical values. The full sheet is on the downloadable TDS.
Payment, inspection and documentation
Our standard terms are 50% by TT in advance, balance against a copy of the Bill of Lading. The advance secures production and loading; the balance falls due once the cargo is demonstrably on the water and documented. We do not work on letters of credit — bank charges and discrepancy risk end up in the per-tonne figure, and saying so plainly saves a week of negotiation.
Every shipment travels with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, safety data sheet and the batch certificate of analysis. SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek or the surveyor named in your contract can attend loading for quality and quantity. Shipping documents are issued within three days of vessel departure. The export documentation guide sets out what each document does and where presentations usually fail.
Frequently asked questions about Bitumen 80/100
What does the 80/100 penetration value mean?
It is the depth, in tenths of a millimetre, that a standard needle penetrates a bitumen sample at 25 °C under a 100 g load for five seconds, per ASTM D5. A value of 80 to 100 — that is, 8 to 10 mm — indicates a soft binder. The higher the number, the softer the bitumen.
Should I use 80/100 or 60/70?
Climate decides it. Above an annual average pavement temperature of roughly 20 °C, 60/70 resists summer rutting better. Below it, 80/100 resists winter thermal cracking better. Traffic is the second factor: 80/100 is for light to medium loading, not for heavy slow-moving traffic in warm weather.
Is Bitumen 80/100 suitable for high traffic roads?
Not on its own in warm conditions — it will rut under heavy, slow or channelised loading. For high-traffic pavements in a cold climate, a polymer modified binder built on an 80/100 base gives the winter flexibility without the summer softness. For high traffic in a warm climate, specify 60/70 or 40/50 instead.
What is the minimum order quantity?
100 MT. Depending on packing, a 20′ container carries 16.5 to 24 MT and a 40′ container 20 to 26 MT, so 100 MT is roughly four to six containers. Mixed grades in one shipment are accepted provided each grade reaches a full container. For bulk vessel shipment the minimum is 1,000 MT.
What are your payment terms?
50% by TT in advance with the balance settled against a copy of the Bill of Lading. We do not work on letters of credit. The balance falls due only once the cargo is on the water and documented, so you are not paying in full against an undelivered shipment.
What is the density of Bitumen 80/100?
Specific gravity at 25 °C is 1.01 to 1.06 g/cm³ per ASTM D70, typically about 1.02. One metric ton occupies roughly 980 litres at 25 °C. At mixing temperature of 150 °C density falls to around 0.96 to 0.97 g/cm³.
Why does 80/100 cost less to lay than harder grades?
It reaches workable viscosity at a lower temperature, so the plant burns less fuel per tonne of mix and the compaction window extends further down the temperature scale. On a cool-weather job that difference can be the margin between finishing a lift and having to reheat.
Is a certificate of analysis provided?
Yes, with every shipment. It confirms penetration, softening point, ductility, flash point, specific gravity, solubility and loss on heating, tested to ASTM D946 and AASHTO M20, and it carries the lot number and production date.
Can Bitumen 80/100 be used to make emulsion or cutback?
Yes — it is one of the standard base grades for both. Softer base bitumen gives emulsions better low-temperature behaviour and makes cutbacks easier to blend. See bitumen emulsion and cutback bitumen for the finished products.
What is the lead time and transit time?
Production and loading takes 7 to 14 business days after order confirmation. Indicative transit from Jebel Ali: East Africa 5 to 9 days, South Asia 7 to 12 days, Southeast Asia 12 to 18 days, West Africa 18 to 22 days. Shipping documents follow within three days of departure.
What is the price of Bitumen 80/100?
It moves with crude and vacuum bottom, ocean freight, packing choice and destination, so a flat published number would not hold. Indicative levels are on our bitumen price page. Send quantity, packing, destination port and Incoterm and we issue a firm FOB, CFR or CIF quotation within one business day.
How should it be stored on site?
Dry, shaded, away from direct sun, moisture and open flame. Drums upright and sealed; jumbo bags no more than two high unless caged. Shelf life is 12 months from production under correct storage. In hot tank storage, keep below 140 °C and circulate rather than holding static.
Related grades and products
Other penetration grades
60/70 for warm and hot climates with heavy traffic, 40/50 for extreme heat and slow heavy loading.
Oxidized bitumen
Blown grades such as 85/25 and 115/15 for roofing, membranes and pipe coating.
Emulsion and cutback
Emulsions for tack coats and slurry seals, cutbacks for prime coats and surface dressing.
Modified binder
PMB where one unmodified grade cannot cover both the high and low temperature ends.
Request a quotation for Bitumen 80/100
Send us the quantity in MT, the packing format, the destination port and the Incoterm. We come back with a firm price, a production schedule and the documentation list for clearance within one business day. If a different grade suits your climate or traffic loading better than the one specified, we will say so.
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