# Bitumen

Web page: https://northpacificenergy.com/products/bitumen/ (Spanish: https://northpacificenergy.com/es/productos/betun-asfaltico/; French: https://northpacificenergy.com/fr/produits/bitume/)

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.

At a glance

- **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](https://northpacificenergy.com/tank-storage-shipping-solutions/)

## 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.

[Send an enquiry](https://northpacificenergy.com/contact-us/) [Compare Incoterms](https://northpacificenergy.com/oil-gas-trading/#incoterms)

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