Repsol Advance - Bituminous emulsions

The main characteristic of bituminous emulsions is that they can be used as a binder for lower-than-usual temperatures and even at ambient temperature.

Properties and applications

Bituminous emulsions are colloidal dispersions of bitumen globules in an aqueous phase, composed of water and one or more anionic or cationic emulsifying agents, whose mission is to enable the dispersion of the bitumen, ensure the stability of the emulsion and guarantee adherence with aggregates at ambient temperature.

Due to their consistency, they can be used as a tack coat to improve adhesion between the different layers of the road surface courses or mixed and/or bound with aggregates. This is achieved during the emulsion breaking process, where the free bitumen particles provide cohesion to the whole. Bituminous emulsions are the fundamental base that has made it possible to develop cold-mix technology for roads.