TRANSCRIPT: As global demand for roads grows, so does the importance of the material that holds them together: bitumen. 

However, once a consistent, locally sourced byproduct of oil refining, bitumen quality has become increasingly unpredictable. Why? Because modern refineries now prioritize extracting other outputs, resulting in bitumen of varying, often lower quality. 

Bitumen is produced during the refining process, where crude oil is heated and separated into fractions by boiling point. Bitumen is what’s left after lighter products like gasoline and kerosene are removed. 

But global sourcing, shifting crude oil types, and technologies like coking and synthetic crude production have introduced wide variability in bitumen quality. For asphalt plants and mix designers, that means inconsistent binder performance and unreliable mix properties. 

Fortunately, there’s a solution. 

By shifting from binder-focused specifications to balanced, performance-based mix designs, engineers can design pavements that resist cracking, rutting, and aging, even with bitumen of variable quality. 

Incorporating PGXpand®, a bitumen-friendly polymer additive, into a mix can help improve viscosity, workability, and high-temperature performance without impacting low-temperature properties. 

The result? Stronger, more reliable roads. 

To learn more about overcoming bitumen quality challenges, contact Sripath Technologies at info@sripath.com.Â