BITUMEN...GREEN??? I dont think so...

We claim KEELBLACK is “the Green alternative.”  Well, prehaps we should elaborate a little in case you think this is a blatant untruth.

Bitumen is both a natural occurring substance and also a by-product of the petroleum refining process. Whilst we have an oil industry, there will always be a residue at the bottom of the “cracker” (the technical name for the device that produces the various grades of petroleum products we use every day) This residue is the stuff that we know as bitumen. Whilst we use oil, we will have by-products so in a way, we are putting to good use a low grade waste product which would otherwise be dumped, The “Green” element is not so much about the bitumen itself but in the method of making a paint with it.

All paints consist of a pigment (the colour) and a carrier (the stuff that makes the paint liquid). When applied, the carrier evaporates into the atmosphere (or into the canal) and leaves behind the pigment as a dry film. In almost all other blackings, the carrier is a solvent – either mineral spirits or turpentine, which contain VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). Exposure to VOC's can cause damage to the enviromnet as well as various health issues, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and nausea and are regulated to a degree by governments. Sniff a tin of traditional blacking then open a keg of KEELBLACK. There is a world of difference.

Uniquely in the world of bitumen coatings, KEELBLACK emulsion is the only blacking to be water based. The technique for producing this is a closely guarded secret and the rest of the industry would dearly love to get its hands on how to emulsify the ultra-hard bitumen that is the basis of KEELBLACK.

The practical upshot is that unlike many blackings, applying KEELBLACK will do less harm to the environment than filling your narrow boat with diesel or your car with petrol. You won’t have to wear special respiratory equipment and you can be smug in the knowledge that no VOC’s can leach into the canal.

KEELBLACK - RESPONSIBLE BOATING.