Bitumen granules which are solid at ambient temperature

1. Bitumen pellets comprising at least:

a) bitumen,

b) a compound of general formula (I):

R 1 —(COOH) z   (I)

in which R 1 represents a linear or branched hydrocarbon chain comprising from 4 to 68 carbon atoms, and z is an integer ranging from 2 to 4,

c) a compound of general formula (II):

R 2 —(NH) n CONH—X—(NHCO) p (NH) n —R 3   (II)

in which:

the R 2 and R 3 groups, which may be identical or different, represent a hydrocarbon chain comprising from 1 to 22 carbon atoms and optionally comprising heteroatoms, and R 3 may be H,

the group X represents an optionally substituted hydrocarbon chain comprising from 1 to 22 carbon atoms and optionally comprising heteroatoms,

n and p are integers having a value of 0 or 1 independently of one another, and

d) a compound of general formula (II):

Ar1-R—Ar2  (III)

in which:

Ar1 and Ar2 represent, independently of one another, an aromatic group comprising from 6 to 20 carbon atoms and chosen from a benzene ring or a system of fused aromatic rings, the aromatic group being substituted by at least one hydroxyl group and optionally by one or more C 1 -C 20 alkyl groups, and

R represents an optionally substituted divalent hydrocarbon radical, the main chain of which comprises from 6 to 20 carbon atoms and at least one group chosen from amide, ester, hydrazide, urea, carbamate and anhydride functions.

2. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is chosen from diacids of general formula (IA):

HOOC—C w H 2w —COOH  (IA)

with w an integer ranging from 4 to 22.

3. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the compound of formula (IA) is sebacic acid.

4. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound of general formula (II) is chosen from compounds of formula (IIA):

R 2 —CONH—X—NHCO—R 3   (IIA)

in which R 2 , R 3 and X are as defined in claim 1 .

5. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the compound of general formula (IIA) is N,N′-ethylenedi(stearamide).

6. The pellet as claimed in claim 1 , in which the compound of general formula (III) is 2′,3-bis[(3-[3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl]propionyl)]propionohydrazide.

7. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , comprising from 0.1% to 10% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (I), relative to the total mass of the pellets.

8. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , comprising from 0.1% to 10% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (II), relative to the total mass of the pellets.

9. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , comprising from 0.1% to 10% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (III), relative to the total mass of the pellets.

10. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , which comprise:

a) from 70% to 99.7% by mass of bitumen,

b) from 0.1% to 10% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (I),

c) from 0.1% to 10% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (II), and

d) from 0.1% to 10% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (III),

relative to the total mass of the bitumen pellets.

11. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 10 , which comprise:

a) from 82% to 98.5% by mass of bitumen,

b) from 0.5% to 6% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (I),

c) from 0.5% to 6% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (II), and

d) from 0.5% to 6% by mass of one or more compounds of formula (III),

relative to the total mass of the bitumen pellets.

12. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , the pellets being covered on at least a portion of their surface with an anti-agglomerating agent.

13. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the anti-agglomerating agent is chosen from particulate anti-agglomerating agents, film-forming anti-agglomerating agents, and mixtures thereof.

14. The bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 which are a road binder.

15. A method for manufacturing bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least the following steps:

1) providing a bituminous composition comprising at least: bitumen, a compound of general formula (I), a compound of general formula (II) and a compound of formula (III),

2) forming the bituminous composition into the form of pellets, and

3) optionally, coating the pellets on all or part of their surface with at least one anti-agglomerating agent.

16. A method for manufacturing bituminous mixes comprising at least one road binder and aggregates or recycled bituminous mix aggregates, the road binder being in the form of bitumen pellets as claimed in claim 14 , this method comprising at least the steps of:

heating the aggregates to a temperature ranging from 100° C. to 180° C.,

mixing the aggregates with the road binder in a vessel,

obtaining bituminous mixes.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , which does not comprise a step of heating the road binder before it is mixed with the aggregates.

18. A method for transporting and/or storing and/or handling bitumen, wherein the method comprises

a step consisting in the preparation of the bitumen in the form of bitumen pellets according to claim 1 , and a step wherein the bitumen in the form of bitumen pellets is transported and/or stored and/or handled at ambient temperature.