 Shell Mexflux is a refined hydrocarbon derived from crude petroleum. It is used for fluxing road-grade bitumen in order to provide a binder which has lower viscosity, or is more fluid, for a considerable amount of time. After application, the fluxed bitumen "wets" fresh aggregate to ensure a strong adhesion between binder and aggregate surface. A fluxed bitumen can be handled at lower temperatures and thus requires less heating - a safer and more economical product. After application in Spray Seals, fluxed bitumen retain their lower viscosity for a longer period of time than cutback bitumen since bitumen flux are based upon less volatile hydrocarbon fractions. |