Rhino Bitumen

South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Canada and Spain are respectively the world's largest bitumen exporters.

Total global bitumen imports amounts to 24 million tons, and China, the United States, India, France and Indonesia are among the biggest bitumen importers. Iran produces 5 million tons of bitumen and exports 3.5 million tons annually as the fourth producer and third exporter in the world, and enjoys special status in the global market. In total, South Korea with a 15% share, Singapore with a 12% share, and Iran with an 11% share of the global bitumen export market are the biggest players of the global bitumen trade.

Studies and projections regarding the future global economy suggest that Asian countries will experience the biggest GDP growth until 2050, and the top 5 economies in the world in 2050 are predicted to include four Asian countries. Accordingly, with an annual bitumen consumption of 27 million tons in 2015, China was the biggest bitumen consumer in the world and supplies 4.7 million tons, and amounts to 17.2% of its total consumption, through imports. China’s economic development plans defines very large infrastructural projects, especially highways and local access roads that are expected to raise this country’s bitumen consumption over the next five years to over 30 million tons a year.
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The biggest risk in working with bitumen is possible skin contact with hot bitumen. In the long period of time of using bitumen, there have been no reports of bitumen’s danger to the skin. Bitumen solutions and emulsions are more likely to touch the skin due to lower distribution temperature, which should be avoided. When bitumen solutions contact the skin, their solvents can enter the body through the skin. The presence of solvent in the body has carcinogenic effects. Contact with bitumen emulsions agitates the skin and the eyes and causes allergies in different people.
First Aid: In case of burn, the area should be quickly cooled and held under cold water for 10 minutes. The eyes should be held in cold water for 5 minutes. In all cases, refrain from cooling the person's body and peeling the bitumen from the skin.
Medical Care: Bitumen adheres strongly to the skin and should only be separated in a well-equipped clinic. Cold bitumen creates a sterile and hydrophobic layer on the burnt area and prevents drying. Removing bitumen damages the skin and may dry and cause infection in second-degree burns. In second-degree burns, the bitumen layer should remain in place and covered with paraffin ointments such as Flamazine (Silver Sulfadizine). This method softens the bitumen layer, which can be separated after one day. In this case, the skin does not change and regenerates. In case of third-degree burns, the bitumen should be removed through surgery based on depth and location. In this state, it is better to remove the bitumen in the operating room 5 days after the burn. This conditions will not cause any infections.
If the burn causes incidental bleeding, the bitumen acts as a bandage after cooling and prevents bleeding. In this case, the cold bitumen should be softened and then separated to avoid blocking the blood flow. If the hot bitumen touches the eye, only a specialist doctor can diagnose the patient’s condition and make the necessary prescription.
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