What is Bitumen?

In short, bitumen is obtained from crude oil. Bitumen is a substance that can be found in solid, semi-solid or liquid forms with a color ranging from dark brown to black with hydrocarbon composition obtained by natural precipitation of crude oil or by distillation in refineries.
Petroleum bitumen is typically referred to as bitumen or asphalt. In Europe for instance bitumen means the liquid binder. In North America, on the other hand the liquid binder is referred to as asphalt, or asphalt cement.
Bitumen may refer to either a naturally occurring mixture of various organic liquids, also called crude bitumen, or a residue yielded in the distillation process of coal or petroleum, called refined bitumen.

Bitumen is a black or dark-colored, amorphous, cementitious material that can be found in different forms, such us rock asphalt, natural bitumen, tar and bitumen derived from oil, which is referred to as petroleum bitumen.

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Types of Bitumen

• Bitumen Penetration
• Bitumen Emulsion
• Cutback Bitumen
• Oxidized Bitumen
• Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB)

Bitumen Penetration

The penetration grade bitumen is refinery bitumen that is manufactured at different viscosities. The penetration test is carried out to characterize the bitumen, based on the hardness. Thus, it has the name penetration bitumen. The penetration bitumen grades range from 15 to 450 for road bitumen. But the most commonly used range is 25 to 200. This is acquired by controlling the test carried out i.e. the distillation process. The partial control of fluxing the residual bitumen with the oils can help in bringing the required hardness.

ASTM D946-09: Bitumen 10/20 , 30/40 ,  40/50 ,  60/70 ,  80/100 ,  85/100 , 120/150 , 200/300

EN 12591-2009 : Bitumen 20/30 , 30/45 ,  35/50 , 40/60 , 50/70 ,  70/100 , 100/150 , 160/220

Bitumen Emulsion

Bitumen Emulsion is heterogeneous, two-phase systems consisting of two immiscible liquids, bitumen and water, stabilized by a third component, the emulsifier. The bitumen is dispersed throughout the continuous aqueous phase in the form of discrete droplets, typically 0.5 to 5 microns in diameter, which are held in suspension by electrostatic charges.

Difference grade of Bitumen Emulsion:

Cationic :  CSS-1 , CSS-1h , CMS-2 , CMS-2h , CRS-1 , CRS-2 , K1-40 , K1-60 , K1-70 , K2 , K3 

Anionic: SS-1 ,  SS-1h , RS-1  , RS-2

Cutback Bitumen

Cutback Bitumen (Liquid Bitumen) is Bitumen that is dissolved in a solvent. Typical solvents include Naphtha, gasoline and kerosene, white spirit, etc. The type of solvent controls the curing time while the amount determines the viscosity of the Cutback Bitumen.

Difference grade of Cutback Bitumen :

Rapid Curing : RC-30 , RC-70 , RC-250 ,RC-800

Medium Curing : MC-30 , MC-70 , MC-250 ,MC-800 , MC-3000

Slow Curing : SC-70 , SC-250 ,SC-800 , SC-3000

Oxidized Bitumen

Oxidized Bitumen or Blown bitumen grades are produced by passing air through the penetration grades. This process gives the bitumen more rubbery properties than its original formula and they are simply harder bitumen. Hard bitumen under controlled temperature conditions is widely used as an anti-slip layer compound in the piling industry, for the manufacture of roofing felts, the roofing and waterproofing industries, for sound dampening felts and under carriage sealant in the automotive industry.

Difference grade of Oxidized Bitumen :

Oxidized Bitumen 115/15 ,  150/5 , 105/35 ,105/15 , 95/25 ,  90/40 ,  90/15 ,  90/10 , 85/40 ,  85/35 ,  85/25 ,  75/35 , 75/25

Viscosity Grade Bitumen

Viscosity Grade Bitumen (VG Bitumen) is a type of bitumen introduced in the late 20th century by the United States. It is graded based on viscosity at 60°C and 135°C, with penetration at 25°C also measured.

This test helps understand bitumen's response to temperature fluctuations, demonstrating its resistance to flow in hot climate conditions. VG bitumen is most commonly used in India. The viscosity test offers a more fundamental approach to analyzing bitumen's behavior in specific temperatures.

Difference grade of VG Bitumen :

VG10, VG20, VG30,VG40.

Performance Grade bitumen 

PG Bitumen is graded asphalt binder based on the way that it performs both very high and very low temperature ranges. It is designed to equip the binder with the suitable characteristics for its intended location through utilizing tests analyzing the physical qualities that influence the performance in the field. A couple of figures are used within the system to indicate the hottest and coldest pavement temperatures that would be taken from air temperature using the LTPP Bind program. Unlike traditional methods of grading like penetration and viscosity, PG Bitumen is incorporated in Super pave research and provides more accurate evaluations for issues like fatigue cracking, rutting, and thermal cracking in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavements.

Difference grade of PG Bitumen :

PG 76-10 , 70-16 , 76-16 , 70-10 , 76-22 , 58-16

Australian Grade Bitumen 

Australian Grade bitumen, known for its versatility and reliability, encompasses a range of grades tailored to meet specific project requirements. Bitumen is used to build and maintain the majority of high-performance roads in Australia because it is long-lasting and has excellent waterproofing and adhesion capabilities. Bitumen used in road construction and maintenance are refined and blended to fulfill rigorous road engineering and industry standards. Paving grade bitumen are graded based on their viscosity (degree of fluidity). Bitumen becomes firmer as the slope increases.

Difference grade of Australian Grade Bitumen :

C170 , C240 , C320 , C450 , C600

Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB)

Polymer Modified bitumen (PMB) is one of the specially designed and engineered bitumen grades that are used in making pavement, roads for heavy-duty traffic, and home roofing solutions to withstand extreme weather conditions. This material is also used as a sealant in residential roofing applications.

Usage of Bitumen

Bitumen is widely used in the construction of asphalt roads and bituminous membrane products. Bitumen is commonly used to build highways, motorways and rail networks. Bitumen has excellent water-proofing properties and is widely used for making roofing products along with a range of other household and industrial applications, from emulsion paints to sound-proofing.

Application of Bitumen

• Constructions of roads, runways, and platforms.
• Waterproofing to prevent water seepage.
• Mastic floorings for factories.
• Canal lining to prevent erosion.
• Dump-proof courses for masonry.
• Tank foundation.
• Joint filling material

What is the Difference Between Bitumen, Tar, and Asphalt? 

Bitumen, tar, and asphalt are petroleum products used in construction but with various differences. Bitumen is a sticky, viscous liquid obtained by the distillation of crude oil and is most commonly used in the production of asphalt and water-proof coatings. Tar, on the other hand, is produced by distilling coal or organic matter and has more sticking properties but was utilized in larger amounts previously for surface coating and protection. Asphalt is bitumen blended with mineral aggregates such as sand and gravel and is mostly used for creating roads and pavements. In simple words, bitumen and tar are raw materials, while asphalt is the final product obtained after blending bitumen with mineral material.