{"id":5683,"date":"2026-07-09T19:35:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T18:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e-station-groupe.fr\/?page_id=5683"},"modified":"2026-07-21T17:17:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T16:17:56","slug":"bitume-40-50-achat-gros-export","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/e-station-groupe.fr\/en\/bitume-40-50-achat-gros-export\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitumen 40\/50: the hard grade for hot climates and heavy traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bitume
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Energy trading \u00b7 Bitumen<\/span>

Bitumen 40\/50 : the hard grade<\/span> for hot climates and heavy traffic<\/h1>

The hardest of the common penetration grades, specified for high heat and heavy-goods traffic. E-Station secures your 40\/50 volumes at the right price, with a certificate of analysis and guaranteed delivery.<\/p>Request a quotation \u2192<\/a><\/div><\/div>

The 40\/50 is the hardest of the common penetration grades in international trade. When a 60\/70 starts to rut under heat and heavy axles, the 40\/50 is the one specified. Typical markets: high heavy-goods traffic corridors, port and industrial areas, countries where ground pavement temperatures stay above 50\u00a0\u00b0C.<\/p>

Definition and specifications<\/h2>

At 25\u00a0\u00b0C, the standardised needle penetrates 40 to 50 tenths of a millimetre (ASTM\u00a0D5 \/ EN\u00a01426 test). The grade falls under ASTM\u00a0D946 and AASHTO\u00a0M20. ASTM<\/a> D5 \/ EN 1426). The grade falls under the ASTM D946 standard and AASHTO M20.<\/p>
Characteristic<\/th>Typical value<\/th>Method<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Penetration at 25 \u00b0C<\/td>40\u201350 (0.1 mm)<\/td>ASTM D5<\/td><\/tr>
Softening point<\/td>52\u201360 \u00b0C<\/td>ASTM D36<\/td><\/tr>
Ductility at 25\u00a0\u00b0C<\/td>> 100 cm<\/td>ASTM D113<\/td><\/tr>
Flash point<\/td>\u2265 232 \u00b0C<\/td>ASTM D92<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

Usual market values (ASTM\u00a0D946 \/ AASHTO\u00a0M20). The contractual values are those of the refinery\u2019s certificate of analysis, verifiable by independent pre-shipment inspection. independent pre-shipment inspection<\/a>.<\/p>

Applications<\/h2>

Hot mix asphalt for base and wearing courses where resistance to deformation is paramount: national roads in hot climates, junctions and slow lanes, logistics platforms, airports. Its high softening point makes it markedly less prone to rutting than softer grades. The flip side: in cold climates it becomes brittle and cracks \u2014 it is not a universal grade.<\/p>

40\/50 or 35\/50?<\/h2>

The ranges overlap widely. The 35\/50<\/a> is the European class (EN 12591); the 40\/50 is the designation of markets working under ASTM (Africa, Middle East, Asia). It is the reference standard of your contract that determines the designation to require \u2014 the in-service behaviour is comparable. See also the bitumen 60\/70<\/a> and our grade selection guide<\/a>.<\/p>

Packaging<\/h2>

Bulk (bitumen carrier, insulated tanker truck), 180 to 190\u00a0kg steel drums \u2014 the dominant format for export to Africa \u2014 or big bags of around 1\u00a0tonne in containers.<\/p>

Quality control on receipt<\/h2>

On a hard grade like the 40\/50, intended for high heat and heavy traffic, compliance must be checked before loading and on delivery. Each batch comes with a certificate of analysis (CoA) from the refinery, which we have cross-checked by an independent inspection of the SGS type or equivalent when the contract provides for it.<\/p>

The points to check as a priority on a 40\/50:<\/p>