Specifications of Polymer Modified Bitumen PMB 45/80

PMB 45/80 is the workhorse of polymer modified bitumen. With a penetration of 45 to 80 (0.1 mm) at 25 °C, Class 4 of EN 14023, it has a medium consistency that suits most asphalt surface and binder courses: firm enough to resist rutting, soft enough to remain workable in the mixing plant and flexible on the road. The same penetration class is specified with different softening points, so one grade can be matched to ordinary main roads or to more demanding sites. It sits between the harder PMB 25/55 and the wider-range PMB 40/100 in the Tiger Bitumen Polymer Modified Bitumen range.

Tiger Bitumen is the product brand of HY International Group. PMB 45/80 export enquiries are quoted against the complete EN 14023 designation and property classes written in the buyer’s project specification.

Tiger Brand PMB 45/80 Specifications (EN 14023)

Because PMB 45/80 is produced in more than one softening point class, the penetration range alone never identifies the product. The complete EN 14023 designation and every applicable property class must be confirmed against the relevant product specification before an order is placed. If the project specification measures cohesion by tensile test (EN 13587) or Vialit pendulum (EN 13588) instead of force ductility, that method applies.

PMB 45/80-55 and PMB 45/80-65

Two full designations dominate PMB 45/80 specifications. Both share the same penetration range; the suffix states the minimum softening point.

Other suffixes are permitted by EN 14023. Order the designation exactly as your contract documents state it.

PMB 45/80 performance in the pavement

• Balanced temperature behaviour. Medium consistency gives a good compromise between summer rutting resistance and winter crack resistance.
• Strong aggregate bond. Polymer cohesion holds gap-graded and open-graded mixes together and reduces ravelling at the surface.
• Elastic response. Elastic recovery helps surface courses cope with repeated axle loads without early cracking.
• Familiar plant behaviour. Its consistency is close to the paving grades most asphalt plants already run, which simplifies the move from unmodified binders to PMB.

Applications of PMB 45/80

• Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) surface courses.
• Asphalt concrete surface and binder courses on main roads, ring roads and urban streets.
• Porous and open-graded asphalt, usually with the higher softening point class.
• Thin surface course systems and overlays on existing pavements.
• Bridge deck surfacing layers, where the project specification calls for a polymer modified binder.

Selecting PMB 45/80

PMB 45/80 is the default modified binder for many surface courses, but it is not the answer to every project. The specification’s named binder always applies; as a general guide:

Specifying PMB 45/80 for export tenders

PMB 45/80 appears in road tenders in many markets, often with the same penetration range but different property classes. When two offers are compared, the penetration range tells very little; the softening point suffix and the declared classes for elastic recovery, cohesion and storage stability are what separate one product from another.

For an export quotation, send the full designation, every property class your tender requires, the quantity, and the destination port. HY International Group’s export team checks these against the relevant product specification before quoting, so the offer matches the tender rather than just the grade name.

Handling PMB 45/80

PMB 45/80 is mixed in conventional hot-mix plants, but at higher temperatures than an unmodified bitumen of similar penetration. Work within the temperature limits stated for the specific product and keep tank storage time short. Store it separately from unmodified bitumen, because mixing the two in a tank dilutes the polymer and changes the declared properties.

PMB 45/80 FAQs