Bituminous Mass, Bitumen – What Is It?

Bitumen and Bituminous Mass

Bituminous mass is a mixture of aggregates, asphalt, and fillers. Products based on bituminous mass are used as a protective layer for buildings against water. Bitumen is most commonly used for external waterproofing applications.

Heavy-duty waterproofing (thick-layer coatings) is applied to horizontal and vertical surfaces in contact with the ground. Bituminous masses are primarily used for foundation and roof waterproofing, but they are also highly effective for balconies, terraces, basements, and garages.

These products consist of solid or liquid organic substances with high viscosity. Bituminous masses are typically black in color and contain natural or synthetic bitumen. They are available in single-component and multi-component variants.

Bitumen used for roofing is obtained through oil refining. During crude oil processing, lighter fractions such as natural gas, gasoline, and diesel fuel are extracted. What remains is the heaviest fraction: bitumen, which appears as a dark, viscous liquid.

Modern bituminous products are enhanced with adhesive additives that improve bonding properties. Bituminous masses enriched with synthetic rubbers exhibit a high degree of flexibility, making them more durable and resistant to structural movements.

Bitumin, Bitumen

Bitumen is a component of organic substances found in rocks, consisting of a mixture of various hydrocarbons and organic compounds with a high total hydrogen content, also containing sulfur, oxygen, or nitrogen.

Bitumens accumulate in porous or fractured rocks, mainly in sands and sandstones. They are a component of bituminous rocks as well as fossil fuels, particularly lignite and peat.

The term bitumens is also commonly used to refer to various mixtures of organic substances with a high proportion of hydrocarbons, including:

• Natural Bitumens – Such as crude oil, ozokerite, natural asphalt, asphaltite, as well as metamorphic derivatives of kerogen or crude oil, such as kerite and shungite.
• Artificial Bitumens – Technical products obtained from the processing of crude oil, coal, oil shale, etc., including tars, pitches, oils, and resins.