Types of Bitumen
Natural Bitumen (Gilsonite)
A naturally occurring solid hydrocarbon resin mined in vein deposits — used as a hardening modifier, a drilling additive and a carbon source.
Gilsonite, known technically as uintaite, is a natural asphaltite that occurs in near-vertical veins where crude oil has migrated upward and lost its volatile fractions over geological time. It is mined as a brittle black solid, crushed and screened rather than refined.
Its value comes from an unusually high asphaltene content and a high softening point. Added in small proportions it hardens a binder, raises its softening point and improves resistance to deformation, without the cost or the handling complexity of a polymer.
What distinguishes it
Compared with refinery bitumen, gilsonite carries far more asphaltenes — typically 60 to 75 per cent against 15 to 25 per cent — along with meaningful nitrogen content and a softening point that can exceed 150 °C. It dissolves readily in aromatic solvents and is fully compatible with petroleum bitumen.
Because it is a mined mineral, grade consistency depends on the deposit and on careful screening. We supply against a defined specification rather than a nominal description.
Applications
- Asphalt modifier — raises softening point and improves rutting resistance
- Oil well drilling fluid additive for shale stabilisation and fluid loss control
- Binder and carbon source in foundry sand and core manufacture
- Pigment and body in dark printing inks, paints and stains
- Component in bituminous paints, coatings and mastics
- Additive in explosives and in some specialist chemical processes
Supply forms
- Lump — as mined, crushed to nominal size
- Granular — screened to a defined mesh range
- Powder — fine ground, from 100 mesh to 325 mesh
- Selected and graded by softening point and ash content
Typical specification
| Softening point | 150 – 220 °C by grade |
|---|---|
| Penetration @ 25 °C | Less than 3 |
| Ash content | 3 – 25% by grade |
| Moisture | 1% maximum |
| Specific gravity | 1.03 – 1.08 |
| Solubility in CS₂ | 75 – 99% by grade |
Values are indicative and given for guidance. Contract specification is agreed in writing and certified per batch on the certificate of analysis issued with each shipment.
