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IS 217:1988 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for cutback bitumen - specification. IS 217 provides the specifications for cutback bitumen, which is bitumen whose viscosity is temporarily reduced by the addition of volatile solvents for application at lower temperatures. The standard outlines the physical and chemical requirements for Rapid Curing (RC), Medium Curing (MC), and Slow Curing (SC) grades commonly historically used for prime coats, tack coats, and surface dressing.
Specifies requirements for different grades of cutback bitumen used primarily for prime coats, tack coats, and surface dressing in road construction.
! The use of cutback bitumen is largely discouraged and being phased out globally in favor of bitumen emulsions (IS 8887) due to environmental concerns, high VOC emissions, and health hazards.
! Cutback bitumens pose a severe fire hazard. Engineers must strictly verify the flash point and ensure heating is done well below this limit.
! The curing rate depends on the type of solvent used: naphtha/gasoline for RC, kerosene for MC, and heavy oils for SC.
Standard Specification for Cutback Asphalt (Medium-Curing Type)
Directly specifies grades and properties for Medium-Curing (MC) cutback asphalts, mirroring the MC grades in IS 217.
ASTM D2028/D2028M-15(2021)ASTM International, USA
HighCurrent
Standard Specification for Cutback Asphalt (Rapid-Curing Type)
Specifies grades and requirements for Rapid-Curing (RC) cutback asphalts, corresponding directly to the RC section of IS 217.
AASHTO M 82-13 (2021)AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials), USA
HighCurrent
Standard Specification for Cutback Asphalt (Medium-Curing Type)
Provides specifications for Medium-Curing (MC) cutback asphalts, technically almost identical to ASTM D2027 and very similar to IS 217.
EN 15322:2013CEN (European Committee for Standardization), Europe
MediumCurrent
Bitumen and bituminous binders - Framework for specifying cut-back and fluxed bituminous binders
Provides a classification framework rather than specific grades, allowing users to specify properties like viscosity and curing rate by class.
Key Differences
≠IS 217 explicitly names the diluent for each class (e.g., Kerosene for MC), while ASTM/AASHTO standards define the curing type based on distillation performance without specifying the solvent.
≠The European standard EN 15322 does not use a system of predefined grades (like MC-70, RC-250). Instead, it offers a performance-based framework where users specify a class for each required property.
≠ASTM standards often specify higher minimum flash points for safety, especially for higher viscosity grades, compared to the uniform values in IS 217:1988.
≠IS 217:1988 specifies Trichloroethylene for the solubility test. Modern ASTM standards (referencing ASTM D2042) prefer Toluene due to the health hazards associated with Trichloroethylene.
Key Similarities
≈Both IS 217 and the primary US standards (ASTM/AASHTO) use the same fundamental classification system based on the curing rate: Rapid-Curing (RC), Medium-Curing (MC), and Slow-Curing (SC).
≈The core technical parameters for specification are identical in principle, including kinematic viscosity at 60°C, flash point, distillation characteristics, and properties of the residue (penetration, ductility, solubility).
≈All standards utilize a viscosity grading system (e.g., 70, 250, 800) to further classify the material within each curing type, where a higher number consistently indicates a higher viscosity.
≈The requirements for the properties of the residue from distillation (such as penetration and ductility) are very closely aligned between IS 217 and equivalent ASTM/AASHTO grades.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Grade
MC-250
MC-250
ASTM D2027/D2027M
Kinematic Viscosity at 60 °C, cSt
250 - 500
250 - 500
ASTM D2027/D2027M
Flash Point (Tag Open Cup), °C, min
38
66 (150 °F)
ASTM D2027/D2027M
Distillate, % by vol to 225 °C
0 - 20
0 - 20
ASTM D2027/D2027M
Distillate, % by vol to 260 °C
20 - 60
20 - 60
ASTM D2027/D2027M
Residue from distillation to 360 °C: Penetration at 25°C, 100g, 5s
120 - 250
120 - 250
ASTM D2027/D2027M
Residue from distillation to 360 °C: Ductility at 25 °C, cm, min
100
100
ASTM D2027/D2027M
Water Content, % vol, max
0.2
0.2
ASTM D2027/D2027M
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values4
Quick Reference Values
Kinematic Viscosity Test Temperature60°C
Standard Viscosity Grades70, 250, 800, 3000 cSt
Maximum Water Content0.2 percent by mass
Penetration Test Temperature for Residue25°C
Tables & Referenced Sections
Key Tables
Table 1 - Requirements for Rapid Curing (RC) Cutback Bitumen
Table 2 - Requirements for Medium Curing (MC) Cutback Bitumen
Table 3 - Requirements for Slow Curing (SC) Cutback Bitumen
What is the primary difference between RC, MC, and SC cutbacks?+
RC (Rapid Curing) uses highly volatile solvents, MC (Medium Curing) uses intermediate volatility solvents like kerosene, and SC (Slow Curing) uses low-volatility oils. This determines how quickly the solvent evaporates and the bitumen hardens.
Why is cutback bitumen rarely used in modern road construction?+
Because the solvents used (like kerosene and naphtha) evaporate into the atmosphere, causing severe air pollution (VOC emissions), wasting valuable fuels, and presenting significant fire hazards.
What do the numbers in grades like RC-70 or MC-250 indicate?+
The numbers indicate the lower limit of the kinematic viscosity of the cutback bitumen measured in centistokes (cSt) at 60°C.