Iran Exports 4 Million Tons of Bitumen

“4 million tons of bitumen produced in Iran are exported but we still import bitumen,” said Majid Kianpour, the managing-director of Soil Mechanics and Technical Laboratory of Iran.

“Nearly 6 million tons of bitumen are produced in the country and about 4 million tons of this amount are exported; therefore, it is necessary to apply and monitor the imported bitumen,” he added.

Kianpour said that the useful lifespan of asphalt in our country is 5 to 7 years, while in neighboring countries it is between 10 and 15 years, stressing the need for finding the reasons.

Iranian scientists have in recent years found different ways to produce asphalt.

In a relevant development in October, Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company succeeded in producing asphalt by using waste materials like rubber crumb.

“We succeeded in producing permeable asphalt which is made of waste materials like crumb rubber that allows water to pass through its surface,” Alireza Haddadi, the managing-director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.

“The asphalt is designed based on the type and capacity of the road and the available possibilities, and then the type of asphalt is ordered to the production plant,” he added.

Haddadi noted that permeable asphalts produced by using crumb rubber are very efficient in Northern regions of Iran due to heavy and continuous rainfall, adding, “Water does not remain on the asphalt surface and is directed to the sides of the road which increases the safety of the road surface.”

“Designing asphalt by using crumb rubber plays a highly important role in preserving natural resources and the environment,” he added.

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