Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB)

Polymer modified bitumen (PMB) is one of the specially designed and engineered bitumen grades that is used in making pavement, roads for heavy duty traffic and home roofing solutions to withstand extreme weather conditions. PMB is a normal bitumen with added polymer, which gives it extra strength, high cohesiveness and resistance to fatigue, stripping and deformations, making it a favorable material for infrastructure.

When a polymer is added to regular bitumen, it becomes more elastomeric, which provides it with additional elasticity. The polymer that is added is styrene butadiene styrene (SBS), which acts as a binder modification agent. The primary objective of SBS polymer modified bitumen is to provide extra life to pavement, roads and construction designs. Some of the qualities exhibited by PMB are:

• Higher rigidity
• Increased resistance to deformations
• Increased resistance to cracks and stripping
• Better water resistance properties
• High durability

PMB Application:

• The development of very stressed pavement
• Roads for high and heavy traffic
• High loading
• High temperature amplitude
• More durable pavement
• Draining pavements