IMPROVEMENT IN BITUMEN BY THE ADDITION OF THERMOPLASTIC RUBBER

This article describes the improvement to the rheological properties of bitumen due to the addition of thermoplastic rubber of the "Cariflex TR" type and of other types of polymer. A systematic study of the compatibility between the bitumen and "Cariflex TR" showed that optimum rheological properties and good stability during storage are obtained if parameters such as the aromatic compound content, molecular weight and asphaltene content are judiciously selected. The aim of the article is to prove that the use of this technique could be of interest in some applications where binders are used on highly-trafficked roads such as urban roads and motorways. /TRRL/