Cutback Bitumen — Royal Global Energy
RC·MC
Fuel & Feedstock→Cutback Bitumen

CutbackLiquid Bitumen, cut for control

Cutback bitumen is straight bitumen dissolved in a cutting solvent — naphtha, gasoline, kerosene or white spirit. The solvent type sets the curing time. The solvent volume sets the viscosity.

It supplies primer sealing, pre‑mix patch repairs and sprayed surface treatments across nine RC and MC grades, packed for export in 200 kg seaworthy drums.

Residual bitumen after curing
Cutback bitumen>80%
Bitumen emulsion40–65%

More binder stays on the road after curing — for the same volume of binder applied.

MC·30MC·70MC·250MC·800MC·3000RC·70RC·250RC·800RC·3000 MC·30MC·70MC·250MC·800MC·3000RC·70RC·250RC·800RC·3000
Classification

Rapid‑curing or
medium‑curing

Cutbacks split into two classifications — Rapid‑Curing (RC) and Medium‑Curing (MC) — depending on the solvent used. Each is further defined by a number marking the minimum kinematic viscosity, or fluidity, of the cutback.

The advantage over emulsions is residual bitumen: cutbacks leave well over 80% of the binder on the road after curing, against 40–65% for emulsions, for the same volume applied.

MC

Medium‑Curing

Five grades, 30–6000 cSt. Slower-evaporating solvent, longer working window.

RC

Rapid‑Curing

Four grades, 70–6000 cSt. Fast‑evaporating solvent, quicker set.

Viscosity range by grade

Medium‑curing Rapid‑curing
Medium‑curing (MC)
MC 30
MC 70
MC 250
MC 800
MC 3000
Rapid‑curing (RC)
RC 70
RC 250
RC 800
RC 3000
30 100 300 1000 3000 6000

Kinematic viscosity at 60°C, centistokes — log scale. Higher grade numbers cure slower and run thicker.

Reference

Grades & properties

Grade Curing speed Viscosity (cSt) Penetration of residue
MC 30Medium30–60120–150
MC 70Medium70–140120–150
MC 250Medium250–500120–150
MC 800Medium800–1600120–150
MC 3000Medium3000–6000120–150
RC 70Rapid70–14080–120
RC 250Rapid250–50080–120
RC 800Rapid800–160080–120
RC 3000Rapid3000–600080–120
Kinematic viscosity at 140°F (60°C), centistokes. Penetration of residue at 77°F (25°C), 100g, 5 seconds.
Application

Where it's used

A single application of the appropriate cutback bitumen is sprayed onto the primed pavement, onto which aggregate is laid.

Primer sealing

Suitable for primer sealing and for manufacturing pre‑mix asphalt, which is used in patch repairs.

Sprayed sealing

Used extensively in sprayed sealing, particularly in cooler weather, where lower viscosity improves initial stone retention.

Single application

Sprayed onto primed pavement in one pass, with aggregate laid directly on top of the binder.

Technical data

Full specifications

Property Range Standard
MC 30MC 70MC 3000
Kinematic viscosity @ 60°C, cSt30/6070/1403000/50000ASTM D1270 / AASHTO T201
Flash point (tag open cup), °C383836ASTM D1310 / AASHTO T79
Distillation test @ 360°C––––
Residue from distillation to 360°C, % volume50%55%80%ASTM D402 / AASHTO T55
Test on residue from distillation––––
Viscosity at 60°C300–1200300–1200300–1200ASTM D2170 / AASHTO T201
Penetration at 25°C, 100g, 5s120/150120/150120/150ASTM D5 / AASHTO T49
Ductility at 25°C>100>100>100ASTM D113 / AASHTO T51
Solubility in trichloroethylene99.00%99.00%99.00%ASTM D2402 / AASHTO T44
Water, % volume0.20%0.20%0.20%ASTM D95 / AASHTO T55
Property RC 30RC 70RC 250RC 800RC 3000 Standard / method
Grade
MinMaxMinMaxMinMaxMinMaxMinMax
Flash point (open tag), °C––––27–27––27ASTM D3143
Kinematic viscosity at 60°C (mm²/s)306070140250500800160030006000ASTM D2170
Distillate to 360°CASTM 402
  to 190°C15–10––––––––
  to 225°C55–50–35–15––––
  to 260°C75–70–60–45–25––
  to 315°C90–85–80–75–70––
Residue from distillation50–55–65–75–80––
to 360°C, % by difference, on residue–––––––––––
Penetration @ 25°C, 100g, 5s (0.1mm)8012080120801208012080120ASTM D5
Ductility @ 25°C100–100–100–100–100–ASTM D113
Solubility in trichloroethylene99–99–99–99–99–ASTM D2042
Water by volume–0.2–0.2–0.2–0.2–0.2ASTM D95
Packing

Drums & export packing

Standard seaworthy, exportable packing in 200 kg reconditioned drums.

Palletizing is required for cutback bitumen and emulsions — 200 kg drums are secured as four drums per pallet.

980mm
Height
520–550mm
Diameter
0.6–0.8mm
Wall thickness
200kg
Drum size
⌀ 520–550mm MC·30 200KG NET 980mm wall 0.6–0.8mm
Net packingWeight — in metric tonnesPer drumNo. of drums
200 kg16.00 Mt (+/‑3%)200kgs (+/‑3kgs)80
Net weight — palletized16.00 Mt (+/‑3%)200kgs (+/‑3kgs)80
Gross weight — palletized17.40 Mt (+/‑3%)215kgs (+/‑3kgs)20
Per 20‑foot container.
Systems

Road construction &
maintenance systems

Where cutback bitumen and emulsion sit across the common road treatment systems.

An application of binder on the road surface by a bitumen distributor, followed by a covering of aggregates and chippings spread by a hopper gritter. Can be a single or double‑layer surface dressing.

An application of binder on a granular base to prepare it for asphalt surfacing. Normally a slow‑setting emulsion or cutback is used for better penetration, sealing off the road base. Application rate varies from 0.4–1.4 litre/m².

A very light application of binder, hand or machine sprayed, to bond the existing layer with the new overlay. Application rate is normally between 0.25–0.7 litre/m², depending on the surface being sprayed.

An application of hot binder on a compacted layer of coarse aggregate.

A maintenance technique where a specially tailored mix of emulsion, aggregates, water and/or mineral filler is mixed in an on‑site distributor and spread on an existing road surface at a thickness of 3–6mm. Both a preventive and corrective method for sealing surface cracks, waterproofing asphalt surfaces and stopping oxidation.

Similar to tack coating in that it's a very light application of diluted emulsion, used for renewal and rejuvenation of old asphalt surfaces. The emulsion is usually diluted to around 25–30% binder and applied at a rate of 0.3–0.8 litre/m².

A light application of 0.5–2.0 litre/m² using diluted bitumen emulsion, for dust control on unpaved roads.

Documentation

Download specifications

Full data sheets for the medium‑curing grades, ready to share with your engineering team.

MC‑30
Specification sheet · PDF
 MC‑70
Specification sheet · PDF
 MC‑250
Specification sheet · PDF

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