Bitumen compositions comprising lignin

1. A composition comprising bitumen, one or more plasticity modifying agent(s), lignin, and optionally one or more further component(s); wherein said lignin has a Lignin Ion Exchange Capacity (LIEC) of 0.4 mol/kg dry matter (DM) or less.

2. A composition comprising bitumen, one or more plasticity modifying agent(s), lignin, and optionally one or more further component(s); wherein said lignin is obtained by a process for treatment of a lignocellulosic biomass, said process comprising:

a) subjecting lignocellulosic biomass to hydrothermal pretreatment resulting in a hydrothermally pretreated lignocellulosic biomass;

b) following step (a), subjecting at least part of said hydrothermally pretreated lignocellulosic biomass obtained in step (a) to a hydrolysis resulting in a liquid fraction comprising soluble carbohydrates, and a fiber fraction comprising a lignin component, wherein said hydrolysis is an acid catalyzed hydrolysis and/or enzymatic hydrolysis;

c) optionally, following step (b), subjecting at least part of the liquid fraction obtained in step (b) to a fermentation in order to ferment at least part of said soluble carbohydrates to a fermentation product, thereby obtaining a fermentation broth,

wherein said lignin has a Lignin Ion Exchange Capacity (LIEC) of 0.4 mol/kg dry matter (DM) or less.

3. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein at least part of said lignin fraction is isolated from the fiber fraction obtained in step (b).

4. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein at least part of said lignin fraction is isolated from said fermentation broth obtained in step (c).

5. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said hydrothermal pretreatment of said lignocellulosic biomass is performed at a temperature of 150-260° C.

6. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said hydrothermal pretreatment of said lignocellulosic biomass is performed in a period of residence time of 2-120 minutes.

7. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said hydrothermal pretreatment of said lignocellulosic biomass results in a xylan number of 5% or more.

8. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said hydrolysis comprises the action of one or more cellulase(s) selected from the group consisting of exo-glucanases, endo-glucanases, hemi-cellulases, and beta-glucosidases.

9. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said hydrolysis is performed for a period of time of 1-200 hours.

10. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said step (b) and step (c) are performed as a separate hydrolysis and fermentation step (SHF), and wherein said hydrolysis is performed at a temperature of 30-72° C.

11. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said step (b) and step (c) are performed as a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation step (SSF), and wherein said fermentation is performed at a temperature of 25-40° C. and wherein said hydrolysis is performed at a temperature of 30-72° C.

12. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said hydrolysis is performed in a period of time of 1-12 hours.

13. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said fermentation is performed in a period of time of 100-200 hours.

14. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said process comprises C5 bypass wherein the C5 bypass comprises a solid/liquid separation step before step (b), wherein the liquid fraction is not subjected to said hydrolysis in step (b).

15. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said process is conducted as whole slurry process, wherein the pretreated biomass is subjected directly in a subsequent hydrolysis step and/or fermentation.

16. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein the lignin is obtained from soft lignocellulosic biomass.

17. The composition according to claim 16 , wherein said process does not comprise addition of acid or base during pretreatment.

18. The composition according to claim 16 , wherein the soft lignocellulosic biomass comprises a biomass used or suitable for 2 nd generation bioethanol production, digestate, or waste.

19. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said lignin has a phenolic OH (phOH) content of 2 mmol/g or less.

20. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said lignin has a sulphur (S) content of 0.4% (w/w) or less.

21. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein the bitumen is straight run bitumen, hard bitumen, oxidised bitumen, cut-back bitumen or fluxed bitumen.

22. The composition according to claim 2 , said further component(s) comprising one or more aggregate(s), one or more filler(s), and/or one or more active component(s).

23. The composition according to claim 22 , wherein said one or more active component is selected from the group consisting of dispersing agent(s), surfactant(s), hydrotropic agent(s), emulsifier(s), preserving agent(s), anti-foaming agent (s), viscosity modifier(s), reactive polymer(s) and any combination thereof.

24. The composition according to claim 22 , wherein said one or more aggregate(s) and/or filler(s) comprise a natural aggregate, a manufactured aggregate, a recycled aggregate, or combination of any thereof.

25. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein said one or more plasticity modifying agent is one or more plastomer, one or more thermoplastic elastomer, one or more rubber, one or more viscosity modifier, one or more reactive polymer, or any combination thereof.

26. The composition according to claim 25 , wherein said one or more plastomer is selected from the group consisting of: EVA, EMA, EBA, APP, PE, PP, PVC, and PS, and any combination thereof.

27. The composition according to claim 25 , wherein said one or more thermoplastic elastomer is one or more of butadiene elastomer (SBE), linear or radial styrene-butadiene-styrene elastomer (SBS), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), styrene-isoprene-styrene elastomer (SIS), styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene elastomer (SEBS), ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), isobutene-isoprene random copolymer (MR), polyisobutene (PIB), polybutadiene (PBD), polyisoprene (PI) and any combination thereof.

28. The composition according to claim 25 , wherein said one or more rubber is a natural rubber.

29. The composition according to claim 28 , wherein said natural rubber is latex.

30. The composition according to claim 25 , wherein said one or more rubber is a synthetic rubber.

31. The composition according to claim 30 , wherein said synthetic rubber is recycled tire rubber or recycled crumb rubber.

32. The composition according to claim 25 , wherein said one or more viscosity modifier is one or more flux oil, Fischer-Tropsch waxes, or any combination thereof.

33. The composition according to claim 32 , wherein said one or more flux oil is aromatics, napthenics, and/or parrafinics.

34. The composition according to claim 25 , wherein said one or more reactive polymer is one or more random terpolymer of ethylene, acrylic ester and glycidyl methacrylate; maleic anhydride-grafted styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer; or any combination thereof.

35. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the fermentation product is ethanol, butane, or methanol.

36. A sealing layer comprising a composition according to claim 1 .

37. An asphalt composition comprising a composition according to claim 1 .

38. The asphalt composition according to claim 37 , said asphalt composition being mastic asphalt or rolled asphalt.