Many modern facilities in the modern world are the result of developments in science, especially chemistry. Through advances in the chemical industry, we can have a material that is used in different fields from painting to road instruction. In this article, we will have a look at one of the most used materials called bitumen. We will see the raw material of bitumen, the process of bitumen production, and related information about bitumen. Stay with us until the end of this paper to get more information.

Bitumen is an extra-heavy oil with an API gravity less than 10° and a viscosity greater than 10,000 centipoises produced after different chemical processes whether naturally on the earth or artificially in the factories.

 It is usually found in deposits such as oil sands and pitch lakes. tar or pitch are other names referred to the bitumen, however technically speaking, they have some differences together.

the distillation of crude oil produces Bitumen.

waterproofing and adhesive properties are the main features of Bitumen, It owes the mentioned features to the chemical composition—mainly large hydrocarbon molecules known as asphaltites and resins, which are present in lighter oils but are highly concentrated in bitumen.

metals, such as nickel and vanadium, and nonmetallic inorganic elements, such as nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur are the ingredients of bitumen. Bitumen has different types, according to what type of bitumen is needed to be produced, the number of metals differ in bitumen.

Through the process of distillation, lighter components such as gasoline and diesel are removed and the heavier component which is bitumen remains. Apart from the artificial process of producing bitumen, bitumen can be produced naturally, too. It bears years, almost million years for the natural bitumen to exist.

The composition of the bitumen contains complex hydrocarbons and elements such as calcium, iron, sulfur, and hydrogen.

The price of bitumen is usually high and that is because of the hardness of the process and the natural sources of bitumen does not exist widely in the world, however, supply and demand for crude and geopolitical stability in crude-producing is a considerable factor in this regard.

You may wonder bitumen was also medicine in the past.

It is widely used in the industry, usually in house construction, road paving, roofing products, and in the shipbuilding industry.

It is also used in the following fields:

Road construction

The most significant usage of Asphaltums is in road construction. Till now, Asphaltums is the best material for covering the streets and roads since it is a resistant material against high and low temperature, pressure of weight, and so many other factors existing out there.

Waterproofing products and insulating

Because of its high viscosity, water cannot penetrate into it, so most of the waterproofing materials such as Acriflex Pro, Acriflex X-Pro, Oriplast Reflex, Acriflex Mono, WATstop, Vaposhield, Acriflex pH 4, Acriflex Antiroot, Acriflex Fybro, Acriflex Winter, O.R.A. Eco Anti-rain, Ultrabit, Diaseal Strong, Aquabit, Acriflex One, Bentotelo, and are a mixture of Asphaltums.

Pipe coating

A pipeline coating is a cost-effective and viable solution to maintain pipelines’ integrity. This coating provides a constant protective lining that helps save pipelines from the damaging effects of corrosion. Pipeline coating is one of the most reliable corrosion prevention methods used by industries today.

Paints

Most of the colors used in the painting are mixed with components of Asphaltums in order to reach a suitable density. Colors like acrylic or oil painting.

Ink Production

by mixing the resins, solvents, and additives, often at

high temperatures, inks are produced. This is another industry, taking benefits of Asphaltums components.

Soundproofing

Because of special features of Asphaltums, like high density, it is a resistant material to sound. It means it doesn’t let the sound penetrate into the surface. So the rooms are covered by soundproofing panels, it is called sound-absorbing.

Dams

Since Asphaltums components are waterproof, the grounds of the dams are covered with it. Water may penetrate into any surface; it can even break the stones and cross across them. But when engineers use Asphaltums, they are relieved; no threat will threaten them.

Nearly all countries in the world demand bitumen in the world for essential usages such as road construction and etc, but the USA is the largest customer of bitumen in the world. After the USA, China plays a significant role in this regard.