Bitumen

The Bitumen Industry – A Global Perspective

2011 Edition

A description of the production, chemistry, use, specification and occupational exposures related to bitumen from the manufacturers' perspective. A joint publication of the Asphalt Institute and Eurobitume. View or download.


What is Bitumen?

Bitumen is an oil based substance. It is a semi-solid hydrocarbon product produced by removing the lighter fractions (such as liquid petroleum gas, petrol and diesel) from heavy crude oil during the refining process. More


Types of Bitumen

Bitumen is an engineering material, produced to meet a variety of end-use specifications based on physical properties. Bitumen may be customised for special road applications and hundreds of grades have also been developed for the non-road industrial segment, including roofing and sound-proofing. More


Production Process

Refined bitumen is a complex combination of high molecular weight organic compounds found in heavy crude oils. More


Applications

Facts and Stats

Bitumen industry and European road facts. More


List of Bitumen Applications & Uses

These are the bitumen uses that have been included in the preparation of REACH registration dossiers: view or download


Glossary

Glossary of Terms relating to the industry. More

 

 

 
 

Latest news

  • Bitumen in service (in the road, on the roof, ... ) is an inert material and represents no hazard to human health. During its storage, transportation and application it is heated to high temperatures so, for those working with bitumen, hazards do exist, although these can be easily managed.

    “Hazard” and “Risk” have very different meanings. See how they differ here.

  • Two new leaflets have been produced and made their debut at E&E 2012.

    'Move forward with confidence' and 'Working with confidence' provide an introduction to Eurobitume and highlight the health, safety and environmental information available on the Eurobitume website.

    To view a page-turning PDF of either leaflet please click on the leaflet name above.
     

  • More detail on the IARC Monograph Volume 103 evaluation of occupational exposures to bitumen and bitumen emissions has been published - in The Lancet (December 2011) and online by IARC (17 May 2013).

    Updated 22 May 2013.

  • Eurobitume and the Asphalt Institute have launched an updated, definitive guide to bitumen.

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