Paraffin content of bitumen


The presence of too much paraffin in the bitumens can lead to a significant modification of the rheological properties of the binders used in road construction, with a significant reduction in viscosity when the temperature increases.

So-called paraffinic bitumens have a high thermal susceptibility, low adhesiveness and have mechanical properties which are extremely sensitive to the thermal history of the material. Their emulsification, on the other hand, can pose a problem.

For this reason, some countries have chosen to specify limit values for paraffin content in road bitumens (EN 12591) in order to limit the risks of the appearance of disorder on the road.


EN 12606-2

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