04/04/2019
Nanocellulose to obtain improved and sustainable cold mix asphalt
Misturas has just entered the second phase of the Emulcell R&D project, launched in July 2017, with the objective of developing new bituminous emulsions by using nanocellulose in order to obtain improved and eco-friendly cold mix asphalt.
The Emulcell project conducts research on the use of different types of nanocellulose as emulsifiers for the stabilization of cold bituminous mixtures, for the purpose of reducing its manufacturing cost and minimizing the environmental impact associated with manufacturing this type of mixtures.
The first phase of this project, where the technical needs and requirements were established and the formulas for new mixtures were designed and developed, was completed last December. The second phase, which began in January 2019, aims at optimizing said mixtures, analyzing the results obtained in order to improve them. A scale model and a test section will subsequently be built in order to test their practical use.
In this project, Misturas is cooperating with the Research Group of Roads, Geotechnics and Materials (CGM) of the Higher Technical School of Civil Engineers of the University of A Coruña and the Multidisciplinary Research Technological Center (CETIM), through its Advanced Materials Department, with the support of the consultancy firm Euro-funding International.
The Emulcell project is co-funded by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ref. IDI-20171097), with a Budget of 568.912 €.
This R&D initiative has great potential in the road construction field, due to the large number of secondary roads that could be paved with this type of mixtures and the environmental benefits resulting from the reduction in energy consumption during the manufacturing process.
