Experimental Study on Partial Replacement of Bitumen with Lignin

Abstract

Bitumen is produced from fossil sources, and the asphalt market is looking for alternatives with higher sustainability in terms of low Carbon dioxide emission. The usage of alternative sustainable binders, which can (partly) replace the bitumen, contributes to reduce Carbon dioxide emissions. The alternative polymer that will be used as a "partly" alternative for bitumen originates from nature and is called lignin. Lignin is one of the most abundant naturally occurring polymers (next to cellulose and hemi cellulose) present in plant material. The chemical structure of lignin known to us today does reflect the structure of bitumen and therefore it could be used as an alternative for bitumen.