What bitumen is, where it comes from, the main types (penetration grade, viscosity grade, PMB, oxidized, emulsion), key properties and where each is used.
What Is Bitumen? Types, Properties and Applications
Bitumen is a black, viscous, water-resistant hydrocarbon binder obtained from the heavy residue of crude oil distillation. It glues aggregate together in road surfaces and seals roofs, pipes and foundations against water. This guide explains where it comes from, the main types, the properties buyers specify, and where each type is used.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-24. Publisher: PetroBind Global.
What is bitumen and where does it come from?
Bitumen is a thermoplastic hydrocarbon binder: it is solid or semi-solid at ambient temperature, softens when heated, and returns to a stiff state as it cools. Most commercial bitumen is the heaviest fraction left after crude oil is distilled — first at atmospheric pressure, then under vacuum — and the quality of that residue depends on the crude used. Refiners can further adjust it by air-blowing, blending or polymer modification to reach a target grade. Its two defining jobs are binding (it holds aggregate together) and waterproofing (it is essentially impermeable and resists weathering).
What is the difference between bitumen and asphalt?
Bitumen is the binder; asphalt is the finished mixture of aggregate, sand, filler and bitumen that is laid on a road. In most of the world, including Malaysia, the two words are kept apart, although in North American usage “asphalt” can also mean the binder itself. For procurement, this matters: a plant or contractor buys bitumen by grade and mixes its own asphalt locally. See our full explanation in the bitumen vs. asphalt guide.
What are the main types of bitumen?
Bitumen is sold in several families, each engineered for a different job. The table below summarises the families PetroBind Global supplies and how they differ in form and use.
| Type | Typical grades | Form | Main use |
|---|
| Penetration-grade | 40/50, 60/70, 80/100 | Hot-applied binder | Road base, binder and surface courses |
| Viscosity-grade | VG 10, VG 30, VG 40 | Hot-applied binder | Paving where hot climates demand stiffer binder |
| Polymer-modified (PMB) | PMB 40, PMB 70 and similar | Hot-applied binder | Heavy-traffic roads, airports, high rutting or fatigue risk |
| Oxidized (blown) | 85/25, 90/40, 105/35 and similar | Solid blocks, bags, drums | Roofing membranes, waterproofing, pipe coatings |
| Bitumen emulsion | Cationic and anionic; slow- to rapid-setting | Liquid, applied cold | Tack coats, surface dressing, maintenance, cold mixes |
Grade availability varies by source and shipment. Confirm the exact grade, specification and packing in your RFQ.
How do penetration and viscosity grades differ?
Penetration grading measures how deeply a standard needle sinks into a sample at 25°C, in tenths of a millimetre. A 60/70 bitumen has a penetration between 60 and 70 — harder than an 80/100, which suits cooler climates. Viscosity grading (VG 10, 30, 40) instead classifies the binder by its viscosity at 60°C, which better reflects behaviour on a hot pavement. Penetration grades such as 60/70 remain the common choice for general road construction in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia, while viscosity grades are widely specified in India and other hot markets.
What are polymer-modified bitumens (PMB)?
Polymer-modified bitumen is conventional bitumen blended with polymers, most commonly SBS, to improve elasticity and temperature performance. Compared with straight-run grades, PMB is designed to resist rutting in heat, cracking in cold, and fatigue under repeated loading. It costs more per tonne, so it is usually specified for high-stress locations such as heavy-traffic lanes, junctions, bridges and airfields, where a longer pavement life offsets the higher binder price.
What is bitumen emulsion and why is it used?
A bitumen emulsion is tiny droplets of bitumen dispersed in water with the help of an emulsifier, typically around 55–70% bitumen by weight. Because it flows at ambient temperature, it can be sprayed or mixed cold with no heating. Once applied, the water leaves, the droplets coalesce, and the emulsion “breaks” back into a bitumen film. Cationic emulsions bond readily to most aggregates and are common in road maintenance; anionic emulsions are used where aggregate chemistry or the application suits them. Typical uses are tack coats, prime coats, chip seals and cold recycling.
What properties do buyers check?
The properties below appear on every Certificate of Analysis and decide whether a bitumen suits a given job. They are measured by standard methods under ASTM, EN or national standards.
- Penetration: consistency and hardness at 25°C.
- Softening point: the temperature at which the binder softens, an indicator of heat resistance.
- Ductility: how far it stretches before breaking, a proxy for cohesion and flexibility.
- Flash point: the temperature at which vapours ignite, a safety limit for heating and handling.
- Viscosity: flow behaviour at mixing and compaction temperatures.
- Solubility and loss on heating: purity and ageing indicators.
Where is bitumen used beyond roads?
Roads and airfields take most of the volume, but bitumen is also a standard waterproofing and industrial material. Oxidized bitumen is used in roofing felts and membranes, below-ground waterproofing, pipe coatings and joint sealing, and in some adhesives and insulation products. Other uses include hydraulic works such as canal and reservoir linings, and industrial flooring. In each case the same two properties — adhesion and water resistance — are doing the work.
- Road construction: base, binder and wearing courses, plus surface dressing.
- Airports and heavy-duty pavements: typically PMB or hard-grade binders.
- Roofing and waterproofing: oxidized bitumen and bitumen-coated membranes.
- Pipe and structural coatings: corrosion protection with oxidized grades.
- Maintenance: emulsions for tack coats, patching and cold recycling.
Can bitumen be recycled?
Yes. Asphalt pavement is one of the most recycled construction materials: milled material (RAP) is reheated and reused in new mixes, with softer binders or rejuvenators added to restore the aged bitumen. Cold recycling with emulsion avoids heating altogether. Bitumen can also be modified with crumb rubber from end-of-life tyres, which is covered in our rubberized asphalt guide.
How do you buy the right bitumen?
Start from the application, then confirm grade, specification, quantity, packing and destination port. Ask for a Certificate of Analysis and Product Data Sheet before the order, and arrange independent inspection for the shipment. PetroBind Global handles these steps in a structured RFQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is bitumen made of?
- A: Bitumen is a complex mixture of heavy hydrocarbons, mainly asphaltenes and maltenes, left as the residue when crude oil is distilled. It contains no water and is not a single compound, so its properties vary with the crude source and refining process.
- Q: What is the most common type of bitumen for roads?
- A: Penetration-grade bitumen, especially 60/70, is the most widely used paving grade in Malaysia and much of Asia. 80/100 is a softer alternative for cooler climates or specific mix designs, and PMB is used where traffic or climate is demanding.
- Q: Is bitumen the same as tar?
- A: No. Bitumen comes from crude oil; tar is produced from the destructive distillation of coal or wood. They look similar but have different chemistry and handling hazards, and modern road specifications use bitumen.
- Q: What is the difference between oxidized bitumen and paving bitumen?
- A: Oxidized (blown) bitumen is produced by blowing air through hot bitumen, which makes it harder and less temperature-sensitive. It is used in roofing, waterproofing and coatings. Paving bitumen is made for binding aggregate in roads and has different softening point and penetration targets.
- Q: Does PetroBind Global supply all of these types?
- A: PetroBind supplies penetration and viscosity grade bitumen, polymer-modified bitumen, oxidized bitumen and bitumen emulsion on an RFQ basis. It does not supply finished asphalt mixes or crumb rubber binders. Send grade, quantity, packing and destination port through the RFQ page.