In line with its commitment to sustainable innovation, the Sorigué Group is launching a new research project: Greenfirme. The project aims to develop and test plant-based biobinders made from natural compounds to be used as substitutes for mineral-based binders.  
 
These types of petroleum-based binders are traditionally used in bituminous mixtures for road surfacing.  
 
This project, developed entirely by Sorigué, aims to reduce dependence on exhaustible petroleum-based raw materials and to promote the use of renewable raw materials. This change would reduce the carbon footprint of asphalt mixes and thus contribute to the fight against climate change. 
 
The Greenfirme project is part of the civil works materials sector, specifically in the field of asphalt mix binders.  This study poses technological innovations that will be a major challenge for Sorigué to overcome during its implementation.  

Collaboration with entities

The project, entitled “Development of sustainable pavements through a new bituminous mix technology with vegetable-oil-based binders: Greenfirme”, has received funding from the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), will run for 18 months and has a budget of €437,900.00.
 
The initiative has the collaboration of CATMECH - Center of Advanced Technologies in Mechanics, made up of the Departments of Fluid Mechanics, Materials Resistance and Structures in Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering of the research group POLQUITEX - Polymeric Materials and Textile Chemistry, of the campus of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Terrassa.
 
This centre is engaged in the study of micro and macro characterisation of polymeric materials and chemical systems related to the textile and/or chemical industry.