Bitumen is an oil based
substance. It is a semi-solid hydrocarbon product produced
by removing the lighter fractions (such as liquid petroleum gas,
petrol and diesel) from heavy crude oil during the refining
process. As such, it is correctly known as refined bitumen.
In North America, bitumen is commonly known as asphalt cement or
asphalt. While elsewhere, asphalt is the term used for a mixture
of small stones, sand, filler and bitumen, which is used as a
road paving material. The asphalt mixture contains approximately
5% bitumen. At ambient temperatures bitumen is a stable,
semi-solid substance.
