Asphalt bitumens are petroleum-derived products that have two fundamental properties that make them very suitable for use in road construction:
- Asphalt bitumens are binders: they allow to unite materials of different nature in a single set.
- Asphalt bitumens are thermoplastic: they soften with heat and harden when they cool.
Asphalt bitumens agglomerate and give cohesion to bituminous mixtures and are the main responsible for their properties. Ultimately, asphalt bitumens are responsible for ensuring that a road has the necessary properties to make it a high-quality, safe, resistant road with the least possible environmental impact.