Bitumen PG 52-10 — Production, Specification & Applications
PG 52-10 is the softest grade in the standard series supplied here, placed in cool-climate and low-traffic territory.
Where PG 52-10 sits on the temperature scale
Performance grading ties the binder to the climate of the road rather than to a refinery output slate. The shaded band is the range PG 52-10 is certified to serve, a useful span of 62 degrees.
What distinguishes PG 52-10
A 52 °C upper design temperature describes a pavement that does not approach the surface temperatures typical of tropical or even most temperate highways.
What buyers should know
It is specified deliberately rather than by default. Where the pavement temperature record supports it, grading down reduces fatigue cracking risk and lowers cost simultaneously. Where the record does not support it, a 52 upper grade will rut in the first hot season, and there is no traffic condition under which grading down is the correct response.
How Bitumen PG 52-10 is produced
Understanding the refining route explains why some grades are readily available and others are not, and why two binders that look similar on a datasheet can behave differently in service.
From crude oil to vacuum residue
PG 52-10 is produced from a shallow vacuum cut, leaving a residue with a high proportion of the oily and resinous fractions that give the binder its softness and flexibility. In some refineries the grade is reached by fluxing a harder residue with a compatible distillate stream rather than by adjusting the cut point, since a very shallow cut reduces the yield of higher-value distillates.
Reaching the PG 52-10 envelope
The production challenge is the opposite of the one that governs hot-climate grades. Here the binder must remain stiff enough to satisfy the 1.00 kPa dynamic shear minimum at 52 °C, and a residue taken too shallow, or fluxed too heavily, will fall below it. The upper grade is therefore the controlling test even though 52 °C is the lowest in the standard range.
Production control
Because demand is comparatively low, PG 52-10 is usually a campaign production rather than a continuously available tank grade. Refineries schedule it against confirmed orders, which is why lead times are longer than for the reference grades and why the enquiry should establish availability before the specification is issued.
Derived test temperatures you can check
The two intermediate temperatures on a PG 52-10 certificate follow arithmetically from the grade, so a buyer can verify the document without reference to any other source.
| Test | Derivation | Result for PG 52-10 |
|---|---|---|
| PAV dynamic shear (fatigue) | (52 + −10) ÷ 2 + 4 | 25 °C |
| Bending beam (stiffness, m-value) | −10 + 10 | 0 °C |
Bitumen PG 52-10 specification
| Property | Test method | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Average 7-day max pavement design temperature | AASHTO M323 | 52 °C |
| Minimum pavement design temperature | AASHTO M323 | −10 °C |
| Original binder | ||
| Flash point, Cleveland open cup | AASHTO T48 | min 230 °C |
| Rotational viscosity @ 135 °C | AASHTO T316 | max 3 Pa·s |
| Dynamic shear G*/sinδ @ 52 °C | AASHTO T315 | min 1.00 kPa |
| After RTFOT (short-term ageing) | ||
| Change of mass | AASHTO T240 | max 1.00 % |
| Dynamic shear G*/sinδ @ 52 °C | AASHTO T315 | min 2.20 kPa |
| After PAV @ 100 °C (long-term ageing) | ||
| Dynamic shear G*·sinδ @ 25 °C | AASHTO T315 | max 5000 kPa |
| Creep stiffness S @ 0 °C | AASHTO T313 | max 300 MPa |
| m-value @ 0 °C | AASHTO T313 | min 0.300 |
The full PG 52-10 specification is tested to AASHTO M320 and reported on the certificate of analysis for every parcel. Nearest indicative equivalents: penetration grade 120/150, viscosity grade VG-10. These are reference points for discussion, not substitutions. A certificate of analysis accompanies every shipment; third-party inspection by SGS, Intertek or an equivalent surveyor can be arranged at the buyer instruction and account.
Where Bitumen PG 52-10 is used
Cool-climate rural roads
Low-volume rural routes in cool regions where summer pavement temperatures genuinely remain below the 52 degree threshold.
Footways and cycle tracks
Pedestrian and cycle surfaces carrying negligible axle loading, where flexibility and crack resistance matter more than deformation resistance.
Cold-region patching and maintenance
Repair works where workability at lower application temperatures is an operational advantage.
Deep pavement layers
Lower structural layers well insulated from surface temperature extremes, where the temperature profile at depth supports a softer binder.
Car parks and forecourts
Light-duty surfacing in cool climates carrying static or slow-moving cars only, with no heavy vehicle traffic.
Temporary running surfaces
Short-life sealed surfaces where flexibility and ease of placement outweigh long-term stiffness requirements.
Mix design and handling temperatures
Mixing and compaction temperatures are set from the binder viscosity–temperature relationship rather than from the grade designation alone. The ranges below are typical starting points for PG 52-10 and should be confirmed against the rotational viscosity figure on the delivered certificate.
| Operation | Typical range for PG 52-10 | Control note |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk storage | 140–160 °C | Circulate to prevent local overheating at the heating coils |
| Pumping and transfer | 140–160 °C | Confirm line tracing is operating before transfer begins |
| Hot mix asphalt mixing | 140–155 °C | Target viscosity approximately 0.17 Pa·s |
| Compaction | 120–140 °C | Target viscosity approximately 0.28 Pa·s; cease rolling below the lower figure |
| Maximum sustained heating | below 180 °C | Above this, oxidative hardening accelerates sharply |
Drummed material should be reheated in a controlled oven or hot room rather than by direct flame. Localised overheating hardens the binder at the drum wall and can take a compliant parcel out of specification before it reaches the mixer.
What happens when PG 52-10 is mis-specified
Specifying PG 52-10 in a climate whose seven-day maximum pavement temperature exceeds 52 °C produces rapid rutting, typically within the first summer and concentrated in the outer wheel path. Because the grade is soft by design, the deformation can be severe rather than gradual. There is no traffic or loading condition under which a grade below the climate requirement is defensible.
Available packing for PG 52-10
| Packing | Net weight | Loading per 20 ft FCL | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| New steel drum | 150 / 180 / 185 / 200 kg | 110 drums, 20.35 MT at 185 kg | Smaller parcels, sites without bulk storage |
| Jumbo bag | 1 MT | 20 MT | Lower packing cost, requires melting facility |
| Flexitank / bitutainer | 20–22 MT | 1 unit | Bulk economics without a bulk vessel |
| Bulk vessel | by parcel | heated tanker | Terminal to terminal, largest volumes |
As a PG 52-10 supplier Bitumen Asphaltive ships on CFR, CIF and FOB terms with commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and certificate of analysis.
Questions specific to PG 52-10
When is PG 52-10 the correct choice rather than PG 58-10?
When the seven-day average maximum pavement design temperature is genuinely below 58 °C at the required reliability, and traffic is free-flowing. If either condition is not met, PG 58-10 or higher is indicated.
Is a soft binder more prone to rutting?
At its design temperature, no; it is certified to resist rutting at 52 °C and must meet the same 1.00 kPa dynamic shear minimum as any other grade at its own upper temperature. Above that temperature, yes, and markedly so. The grade is a limit rather than a description of general softness.
What lead time should we allow?
Longer than for the common grades. PG 52-10 is a campaign production rather than a tank grade, so availability should be raised at the enquiry stage rather than assumed.
How is such a soft grade produced?
Either by taking a shallower vacuum cut, which leaves more of the oily fraction in the residue, or by fluxing a harder residue with a compatible distillate stream. The second route is often preferred because a very shallow cut sacrifices the yield of higher-value distillates.
Can PG 52-10 be used for a wearing course?
Only where the climate genuinely supports it and traffic is light and free-flowing. In most applications it appears in lower layers, footways or light-duty surfacing rather than in a trafficked wearing course.
The performance grade range
Intermediate temperatures below are derived from each grade, not selected by the supplier.
| Grade | Upper | Lower | Span | PAV DSR | Bending beam | Pen equiv. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG 70-10 | 70 °C | −10 °C | 80 °C | 34 °C | 0 °C | 40/50 |
| PG 64-22 | 64 °C | −22 °C | 86 °C | 25 °C | −12 °C | 60/70 |
| PG 64-16 | 64 °C | −16 °C | 80 °C | 28 °C | −6 °C | 60/70 |
| PG 64-10 | 64 °C | −10 °C | 74 °C | 31 °C | 0 °C | 60/70 |
| PG 58-22 | 58 °C | −22 °C | 80 °C | 22 °C | −12 °C | 85/100 |
| PG 58-16 | 58 °C | −16 °C | 74 °C | 25 °C | −6 °C | 85/100 |
| PG 58-10 | 58 °C | −10 °C | 68 °C | 28 °C | 0 °C | 85/100 |
| PG 52-10 | 52 °C | −10 °C | 62 °C | 25 °C | 0 °C | 120/150 |
Speak to a Bitumen PG 52-10 supplier
Send quantity in metric tonnes, required packing, destination port and preferred Incoterm. Offers are normally returned within one working day.