Gilsonite is a mineral product that is made of crude oil that remained on the ground for a thousand or more years.
There are two ways through which countries extract gilsonite.
one way is using industrial machinery to extract it which is quicker but not more beneficial since it is with a lower purity level.
Also, this method is not favorable for merchants since the price for this level of purity is not much and it is not competitive in the world market.
So, all traders and merchalookinglook for a product that is less expensive and more competitive in their target market.
The other method of extracting gilsonite is to extract it manually by using primary methods utilizing workers to do it.
in this way, though so time-consuming and energy taking, the result is a product with a higher level of purity which is better welcome by the market and has a better level of purity in the amount of ash and other impurities.
Western and European countries, where demand for the best quality is their priority, usually have a lot larger demand for such method but in
some third world countries where the total annual trade level is lower and are challenging economical issues the demand for this method of manual extraction is lower.
Also, using machinery to extract gilsonite requires so many investments for applying the latest technology and equipped machines and facilities, and calculating the total revenue gained using this method is lower.
The usage of gilsonite is so vast that in one context it might not be possible to use all but here we shortly get over some of it.
Bitumen or asphalt is a petrochemical material that is formed from crude oil refining leftover and it is widely used in different fields of industry and daily life of people around the world as like gilsonite, Some other usages could be in cementing slurries, creating a blockage against the unused pipeline and plugging shafts, and so on.
using it as a useful fuel in fireworks or to produce waterproof covers for pipelines is another major use of bitumen.
if one is looking for a best-selling market for bitumen, he should take a look at countries with the most average rainfall in whose houses rooves, bitumen is a key material to protect against water penetration or other matters related countries like Russia, Finland, Norway, Germany, Canada, Us and some Asian countries like Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, and a number others.
so as one can see there is a very large demanding market for bitumen around the globe.
Also, countries that have more volcanic areas have larger mines and areas for extracting bitumen.
There are also asphalt erupting volcanoes that erupt asphalt instead of lava.
They were first discovered in the Gulf of Mexico.
That eased the way a lot for scientists and further traders to have a better and richer source of bitumen.
If a trader wants to have a prevailing export of bitumen, he should go and check the capabilities and technologies used in extracting, packaging, shipment means, and customs formalities applied to the bitumen purchase and take into consideration all aspects of trading in this field.
Specifications of Gilsonite and Bitumen
Bitumen and gilsonite are used in different fields with specifications for different fields of industry and thanks to their easier extraction out of oil leftover and their high solubility compared to other materials.
they are easily processed and used in industry.
One very important fields of use for bitumen and gilsonite are in asphalt and roof production.
The most exporting countries of bitumen and gilsonite are South Korea, Canada, Singapore, Germany and Greece, and several others.
In asphalt production, one most important factor is durability and resistance against water or other liquids penetration and resistance against different weather conditions which both are met with the usage of gilsonite and bitumen in it.
They are easier to process and also more soluble in different chemicals to produce different ranges of stability in asphalt ranges.
The percent of purity in both gilsonite and bitumen depends widely on how they are extracted and what facility is used.
Maybe one major difference in usage of gilsonite and bitumen in roof cover production and pipeline blockage is the viscosity level that causes them to be more flexible for later modification, and reformations.
in the ink industry it could also provide the industry with high quality flowing inks which can be used in different types of fountain pens in different colors.
Getting to all features of bitumen and gilsonite requires a longtime analysis but here we can present a few to make seekers of the product more familiar with their nature of them.
Next is how much they are important in world trade and how they are analyzed.
Gilsonite & Bitumen Importance in World Trade
Gilsonite has important usages both in industry and in world trade.
one of the main usages of which is in-home roof production which could highly lower the penetration of water and could be used as a good absorber of sunlight and natural heating system for houses.
Also, it is considered a good resistant material against shocks and hits.
another very important usage is in the paints industry for producing high-quality ink in different colors and the quality of paints.
the paints made of Gilsonite this way are bitumen based and this causes it to be more adhesive and water and chemical resistant.
one other usage is to use paint in bitumen and asphalt production.
Bitumen also is another form of gilsonite that sometimes they are used interchangeably.
But there is a difference between them and that is gilsonite is the natural form of bitumen and is formed in nature but bitumen is the chemically processed form of it and is made of processed oil left over.
Also, it is used in the polish industry.
The use of gilsonite in the polish industry has caused a wide variety of polishes in different colors and the brightness and its durability have resulted in a very high-quality polish to be used in different fields of it.
The use of bitumen in asphalt production causes more flexibility and less probability of cracking or getting damaged by shocks compared to gilsonite.
It is also used as an asphalt mixture modifier to improve its durability and resistance.
Understanding the difference between gilsonite and bitumen is a major factor in choosing different markets and producer countries and also to find demanding markets of them around the globe.
Also, knowing the feature of the two products serves as a crucial aspect of success in the world market.
We, as a trading company has a vast internationally unified system of exporting gilsonite and bitumen.
in case anyone is interested in the highest quality exporting of such product, he can refer to the link presented above.