Bitumen Application

The vast majority of refined bitumen is used in construction: primarily as a constituent of products used in paving and roofing applications. According to the requirements of the end use bitumen is produced to specification. This is achieved either by refining process or blending.

It is estimated that the current world use of bitumen is approximately 102 million tonnes per year. Approximately 85% of all the bitumen produced is used as the binder in asphalt for roads. It is also used in other paved areas such as airport runways, car parks and footways. 

 Source: The Bitumen Industry - A Global Perspective, 2008

Heavy duty pavings, Urban roads paving, rural roads paving, main roads paving, industrial uses.Heavy duty paving is used in Airports, ports and railways require paving solutions that can withstand extremely heavy loads and high pavement stress. These pavements are subject to sustained loads, often in channels such as loading bays which can lead to rutting.

In the past, bitumen was used to Waterproof Boats, and even as a coating for buildings with some additives. The Greek historian Herodotus said hot bitumen was used as mortar in the walls of Babylon. It is also possible that the city of Carthage was easily burnt due to extensive use of bitumen in construction.

Vessels for the heating of bitumen or bituminous compounds are usually subject to specific conditions in public liability insurance policies, similar to those required for blow torches, welders, and flame-cutting equipment.

Bitumen was also used in early photographic technology. It was most notably used by French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the first picture ever taken. The bitumen used in his experiments were smeared on pewter plates and then exposed to light, thus making a black and white image.

Thin bitumen plates are sometimes used by computer enthusiasts for silencing computer cases or noisy computer parts such as the hard drive. Bitumen layers are baked onto the outside of high end dishwashers to provide sound insulation.

sources: engineerstoday.blogspot.com , eurobitume.eu , shivamtarproducts.com

P.S: Gildatar Bitumen is proud to make possible the supply of Middle East bitumen in multiple grades 60/70, 80/100, 85/100, 85/25, 40/50, and 30/40.