Heating of packaged bitumen is a critical phase in most of the final uses. Typically, the packaged material is heated and melted in boilers out on site.
However, control at the heating phase is very important in terms of health and safety as well as in maintaining the quality of the product.

Note must be taken of the maximum safe handling temperature of 230 C and this should not be abused. Bitumen is a poor conductor of heat, consequently, control of the heating phase is of paramount importance.

The Oxidized Bitumen material should be broken up prior to placement in the boiler. This exposes a larger surface area to the heat and encourages a more even heating regime. Without the larger exposed surface area, aggressive heating at the base and sides of the boiler may well result in localized overheating, altering the characteristics of the RAHA modified bitumen and potentially causing thermal cracking of the bitumen, creating the release of low lash vapors. The flash point of the oxidized bitumen then becomes irrelevant; as these low flash vapors determine the fire risk.
Melted bitumen should not be left in the boiler and reheated from cold, as there is then a high potential for localized overheating around the heating area (lack of convection means poor heat transfer) and potential development of a pressurized pocket of low flash vapors.

Be aware of the placement of any temperature monitoring or control devices. As a result of the poor thermal conductivity of the bitumen, a thermometer in the bitumen some distance from the heat source could read significantly different (even hundreds of degrees) from the true temperature of the bitumen near the heat source.