More efficient, durable and environmentally sustainable roads and pavements through BITÚMINA
At CETIM, we are driving R&D in the construction sector through the development of bitumen and bituminous mixtures incorporating modified Kraft lignin, delivering enhanced technical performance while reducing environmental impact.
Testing carried out at CETIM’s Sustainable Construction Materials laboratory.
The road construction and paving sector is seeking to incorporate alternative materials with improved technical performance and lower environmental impact. At CETIM, we are addressing this demand through BITÚMINA, a project in which we have developed cold and warm asphalt mixtures with enhanced mechanical and rheological performance, while also achieving a significant reduction in carbon footprint. To achieve this, we have used bio-based bitumen and bituminous emulsions based on modified Kraft lignin (either chemically modified or enhanced with oils), together with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) as a substitute for natural aggregates.
More specifically, at CETIM we have optimised the chemical modification of Kraft lignin and its blending with different oils (linseed, castor and olive pomace oil) for incorporation into bitumen and bituminous emulsions. We have also investigated optimal formulations of these materials through laboratory-scale testing and characterised their volumetric, mechanical and durability properties in accordance with current standards. Finally, we have supported the validation of the optimal cold and warm mixtures in real-scale conditions through a proof of concept, during which we carried out material characterisation.
In addition, thanks to the Life Cycle Assessment conducted at our Technological Centre, we can confirm that the BITÚMINA solution presents favourable environmental viability, associated with the partial substitution of fossil raw materials, the use of industrial by-products, and the application of lower energy-demand technologies, in line with the principles of circular economy and sector decarbonisation.
The promising results obtained were presented last month to the funding body, the Centre for the CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación), at a meeting attended by CETIM, project partners Ence and Misturas, and the University of Santiago de Compostela.
BITÚMINA partners and collaborators during the certification meeting.
BITÚMINA, co-financed by CDTI with Next Generation EU funds, will enable the development of more efficient, durable and environmentally friendly roads, addressing the future challenges of infrastructure engineering.
