TS EN 12597

TS EN 12597 is a terminology standard that organizes the terms and definitions used for bitumen and bituminous binders. It establishes a common technical language for paving bitumens, industrial bitumens, and binders derived from bitumen so that product descriptions, process documents, and technical specifications refer to the same concepts consistently.

The standard is limited to materials within the scope of CEN/TC 336, meaning bitumens and bituminous binders only. It does not extend to non-petroleum hydrocarbon binders such as coal tar and its derivatives, or to natural asphalts. However, it includes some definitions for excluded materials when those terms are needed to understand a product or process definition or to avoid ambiguity.

Why the terminology matters

Bitumen and bituminous binders are viscoelastic materials widely used in road paving, waterproofing, and other industrial applications. In practice, precise wording matters because terms such as bitumen, binder, paving bitumen, and industrial bitumen can carry different technical meanings depending on context. This standard helps align those meanings and reduce confusion across documents and disciplines.

What is included and what is left outside

• It covers terminology for bitumen and bituminous binders.
• Its core scope is restricted to materials within CEN/TC 336.
• It excludes non-petroleum materials such as coal tar and natural asphalt from the main scope.
• It provides limited definitions for some excluded materials only where needed for clarity in related product or process definitions.

As a result, TS EN 12597 should be understood as a reference for concepts and definitions rather than a performance or test standard. It supports consistent use of terminology in specifications, product literature, and laboratory documentation, but it does not by itself state product compliance levels or test outcomes.