Today the main use of bitumen is in the road making industry for construction and maintenance. Bitumen emulsions are a dispersion of bitumen in an aqueous continuous phase, stabilized by the addition of an emulsifier. They are prepared as emulsions at high temperatures, but applied as solid dispersions at ambient temperatures. In road making, bitumen products are typically applied with mineral aggregate. The strong adhesion that occurs between the bitumen and mineral aggregate enables the bitumen to act as a binder, with the mineral aggregate providing mechanical strength for the road.

Bitumen is difficult to work with at ambient temperatures since it is a highly viscous material under these conditions. It can, however be transformed into a workable state by blending with petroleum solvents or by emulsification with a surfactant in water to form a bitumen emulsion. Emulsified bitumen acts as a key tool in road maintenance and construction technology as it combines amazing versatility while offering multiple comparative advantages.