Biobit
Bio Based Bitumen
BioBit is a new line of binders for the asphalt industry to meet the demands of modern government agencies and other environmentally conscious customers. Unlike other bitumen producers Ventraco have created binders with predominantly natural biobased raw materials. Our point of view is, if a binder contains less than 50% biobased ingredients, one could not speak of a “biobased” binder. We often see normal penetration bitumen with 10% to 20% of renewable materials. This is more an attempt to “green wash” petrochemical products, than a real solution to use less of the petrochemical raw materials.
Ventraco Innovation Centre developed biobased bitumen (BioBit) with one of the highest natural raw material contents in the market, up to 100%.
Up to 100% circular based biological raw materials
- BioBits are blends of vegetable resins with natural esters of fatty acid mixed with natural hard bitumen
- Depending on the requested design properties of the binder the BioBits can consist of up to 100% renewable natural raw materials
No CO2 emissions
- During the production of the biobased raw materials only renewable “green” energy is used
- Only the logistics (transport and storage) will have a carbon footprint
- The BioBits have one of the lowest carbon footprints of all the binders in the asphalt industry
CO2 Negative
- Using the BioBits CO2 will be bound into the binder used to make asphalt.
- In general an asphalt road will last decades and thus lock carbon into the road.
- After the lifespan, the aged bio asphalt can be recycled both into new biobased asphalt and conventional asphalt. Because of this the carbon in the bio binder will be locked into a road application for decades, making it a truly CO2 negative application
Highest Bio Based Binder on the market
- BioBit is the only bitumen in the market with up to 100% biobased raw materials
- Due to independent selection of raw materials VIC was able to use environmentally the best possible options
- None of the natural biobased raw materials used for the production of BioBits and RheoFalts are competing with the production of foodstuff. This is in contrast with for example rapeseed-, sunflower- or sugarcane oils.
Meeting Bitumen properties
- Although totally different in terms of chemical composition the BioBits have similar properties to penetration bitumen or PMBs
- This type of bitumen can be produced according to more strict production definition than standard bitumen
Natural Hard Bitumen is used in some BioBits
- Hard natural bitumen is mined in opencast, where the veins are of pure very hard bitumen with a high melting range. This type of bitumen is unsuitable for road applications by itself
- Using Ventraco’s natural resins this hard bitumen can be made into normal penetration bitumen but with largely biobased component
- The only production step is milling (after mining). No elevated temperatures or chemical reaction are used during production, also no distillation step. Storage and transportation is undertaken cold
- To use natural hard bitumen preserves much energy in comparison to straight run (distillation) bitumen for bitumen blending
- No hot storage
- The natural bitumen powder can be stored indefinitely – no problem with shelf life