Australian Standard Bitumen

The properties of bitumen for roadmaking are specified in AS 2008: Residual Bitumen for Pavements. This Australian Standard classifies and specifies the properties of conventional pavement-grade bitumens most widely used in Australia.

The following classes are most commonly used in sprayed sealing works in Australia:

Class 170: the most commonly used class for sprayed sealing
Class 240: higher viscosity binder (compared to C170) used by some road agencies in warm climates
Class 320: higher viscosity binder (compared to C170 and C240) sometimes used for sprayed sealing in areas where pavement temperatures or traffic stresses were high, but has been largely superseded by PMBs and multigrade bitumen.

In New Zealand, the sealing grade bitumens are characterised by penetration grade and consist of:

180/200 penetration: generally used in sprayed seal work (the approximate equivalent of Class 50 bitumen which was a softer class of bitumen than Class 170 used in Australia in the past)
130/150 penetration: a slightly harder grade used as an alternative to 180/200 (approximate viscosity between that of Class 50 and Class 170 bitumen)
80/100 penetration: generally only used in sprayed seals in hotter areas or when resealing fatty or bleeding seals (the approximate equivalent of Class 170 bitumen).

Australian Standard - Viscosity Grade Bitumen Specification (AS2008-1997)

Property	Units	Class 50	Class 170	Class 320	Class 600	Test Methods
Viscosity, 140°F (60°C)	Pa.s	40-60	140-200	260-380	500-700	AS 2341.2 or AS 2341.3
Viscosity, 275°F (135°C)	Pa.s	0.20-0.30	0.25-0.45	0.40-0.65	0.60-0.85	AS 2341.2 or AS 2341.3
Penetration, 77°F (25°C), 100g, 5sec, Min	0.1MM	130	62	40	20	AS 2341.12
Flash point, Min	°C	250	250	250	250	AS 2341.14
Matter Insoluble in toluene, Max	%Wt	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	AS 2341.8
Tests on residue from thin-film oven test:
- Viscosity, 140°F (60°C), Max	Pa.s	300	300	300	300	AS 2341.2 or 2341.3
Density at 15°C	Kg/L	Greater than 1.0, normally 1.01 to 1.04				AS 2341.7

Australian Standard - Viscosity Grade Bitumen Specification (AS2008-2013)

Property	Units	Class 170	Class 240	Class 320	Class 450	Class 600	Test Methods
Viscosity, 140°F (60°C)	Pa.s	140-200	190-280	260-380	Report	500-700	AS/NZS 2341.2
Viscosity, 275°F (135°C)	Pa.s	0.25-0.45	0.32-0.55	0.4-0.65	0.70Max	0.60-0.85	AS 2341.3
Penetration, 77°F (25°C), 100g, 5sec, Min	0.1MM	62	53	40	Report	20	AS 2341.12
Flash point, Min	°C	250					AS 2341.14
Matter Insoluble in toluene, Max	%Wt	1.0					AS/NZS 2341.20 or 2341.8
Density at 15°C	Kg/m³	Report					AS 2341.7
Tests on residue from thin-film oven test(RTFO):
- Viscosity, 140°F (60°C)	Pa.s	-	-	Report	750-1150	-	AS/NZS 2341.10 or 2341.2
- Viscosity, 140°F (60°C)	Pa.s	-	-	Report	850-1300	-	ASTM D2872
- Viscosity of RTFO residue as % of Original	%	300Max	300Max	300Max	Report	300Max	AS/NZS 2341.10 or 2341.2
- Viscosity of RTFO residue as % of Original	%	340Max	340Max	340Max	340Max	340Max	ASTM D2872
- Penetration at 25°C after RTFO	0.1mm	-	-	Report	26Min	-	AS/NZS 2341.10 or 2341.12
- Mass Change	%	-	-	Report	0.6 Max	-	AS/NZS 2341.10 or 2341.12
Legend: Report = no conformity criteria exist, but test results must be reported