Bitumen

Bitumen is one of the most important petroleum products that is used as a widely used material in various industries

​

This product is a dark and viscous liquid and is obtained from the oil distillation process

Basically, it has a high normal ignition temperature and is used in the civil and building industry as a sealing and insulation material. Important information about bitumen is

 

applications

​

Construction: Bitumen is used as one of the most important materials in asphalt and asphalt mixtures for the construction of roads and paths.

Waterproofing: It is used in the isolation and waterproofing of structures such as concrete backs and waterproof coatings.

Oil industry: In the oil industry, bitumen is used to cover pipes and tanks.

Adhesive materials: It is used in various industries to produce glue and adhesive materials.

Food and pharmaceutical industry: In some cases, it is used as an additive in food and pharmaceutical production.

 

Exporting countries

​

Iran: Iran is one of the largest producers and exporters of bitumen in the world, and Iranian bitumen is known as one of the main export products of this country.

Iraq: Iraq is also one of the big producers of bitumen, which exports to its surrounding countries and also to the world markets.

Saudi Arabia: This country is also one of the producers of bitumen and its exports are made to Persian Gulf countries and Asian markets.

Russia: Russia is also one of the bitumen producing countries that exports to European and Asian markets.

 

Persian Gulf countries: UAE, Qatar and Oman are also among the other countries that produce and export bitumen

​

This information shows that bitumen is used as an important material in various industries and different countries of the world play an important role in its production and export.

​

​

Bitumen types

​

As a complex and diverse product in the oil and petrochemical industry, bitumen has different types that are divided based on physical properties and different applications. In the following, we examine the important types of bitumen

​

Emulsified bitumen

​

This type of bitumen consists of a mixture of bitumen and water, which is created by adding emulsifiers and emulsifying the bitumen.

The main application of this type of bitumen is in asphalt coatings for road construction and waterproof construction coatings

​

Modified Bitumen

​

This type of bitumen includes ordinary bitumen that has been improved by adding modifiers such as polymers or rubber materials

Due to its better properties of flexibility and high temperature resistance, it is used in asphalt pavements for areas with harsh climatic conditions.

​

Straight Run Bitumen

​

This type of bitumen is obtained from the oil distillation process without adding any other additional substances

Applications of this type of bitumen include asphalt coatings, thermal insulation and industrial insulation

​

Blown bitumen

​

Composite bitumen is produced from the process of oxidation of pure bitumen, which is sometimes also called oxidized

This type of bitumen has a higher softening point than pure bitumen and is used for waterproof coatings, strengthening oils and greater adhesion in various industries.

​

Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB)

​

This type of bitumen contains different polymers such as

SBS (styrene butadiene styrene) or APP (polypropylene)

which add special properties to bitumen such as increasing flexibility and corrosion resistance

The main use of this type of bitumen is in asphalt coatings for regions with different climatic conditions, industrial coatings and thermal insulation products.

These types of bitumen show that this is a multifaceted product with different characteristics that is suitable for different applications in different economic industries.

Bitumen importing countries

​

The countries that import bitumen as one of the basic materials in construction and road construction industries are as follows

​

China: China is one of the largest importers of bitumen in the world. Due to the rapid growth of the construction industry in this country, the need for bitumen for road construction, waterproofing, and other construction components is very high.

India: India is also a large market for bitumen and uses it for road construction, asphalt pavements, and other construction projects.

America: The United States is also one of the big consumers of bitumen and uses bitumen to produce asphalt mixtures for road construction and repairs.

Brazil: Brazil is also an important market for bitumen and uses this material in the construction and repair of roads and construction projects.

Russia: As one of the bitumen producing countries, Russia also exports to international markets, but it also supplies part of its domestic needs from imported bitumen.

Turkey: Turkey is also one of the consumers of bitumen in its region and uses this substance to build and repair roads and buildings.

Italy: Italy is also an important market for bitumen and uses it for civil and construction projects

​

​

What countries are Iran's bitumen export destinations?

​

Although the US sanctions have affected Iran's oil exports, they have not caused a disruption in the export of oil products such as bitumen.

In general, Iranian bitumen is exported in three types of packaging: barrel, bulk, and bag, and by land and sea.

Bulk bitumen is exported by bulk carriers from sea routes and tankers by land, and barrel and bag bitumen is sold to destination countries by sea and land through containers.

​

Destinations of Iran's barrel bitumen export India, UAE, Bangladesh, Kenya and Myanmar are the 5 countries which respectively import the most bitumen in barrel form from Iran.