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Polymer Modified Bitumen - BitumenEmulsion
Modified
Bitumen - Polymer Dissolving Process
Final
product info.
American
roads have high demands placed on their pavement.
Roads must withstand temperature changes greater than
200°F and handle heavy loads, on a daily basis, without
cracking or distortion. The surface of a road consists
primarily of granular material (aggregate), for example
stones and sand. The material that binds the aggregate
together and plays a vital role in determining the
strength of the road surfacing - is ASPHALT (bitumen).
The
Raw Materials
 Polymers
are added to the asphalt to improve its characteristics.
They prevent the asphalt from softening in the summer,
when the temperature on the road surface may exceed
150°F.
During
the winter months, polymers prevent the cracking that
occurs when the road surface contracts. The standard
polymer in use today to avoid either condition is
styrene butadiene styrene (SBS).
Another
polymer, finding increasing usage in the most demanding
applications, is EVA (variable ethylene and vinyl acetate copolymer)
Asphalt
is derived from crude oil and is the portion which
remains after distillation. Due to the varying sources
and grades of crude oil, the composition of raw asphalt
can vary widely. Therefore, to ensure consistency
and quality, asphalt is modified with various additives.
The
Process
At
ambient temperature bitumen is an extremely tough,
viscous, black mass. Only at elevated temperatures
will it start to slowly flow. Achieving a homogeneous
blend of asphalt and (co-) polymer requires the product
to be heated to over 320°F.
Typically,
this heating / blending process takes place in large
batch tanks. The asphalt is heated to the proper temperature
and the polymers added under agitation. This process
requires a significant amount of time, energy, and
manpower. In comparison, the use of an IKA in-line
homogenizer will speed up the process and increase
plant capacity. The in-line homogenizer reduces the
mixing time by accelerating the polymer disolving
process.
The most efficient way
to solubilize polymers in asphalt, is to disperse
the polymer in-line. This revolutionary process is
now possible with the three stage IKA high speed mixer "DR 2000 PB".
 The "DR 2000 PB" was specifically developed
for the rapid solubilization of polymers in asphalt.
This new design is a combination of IKA’s bestselling
rotor / stator Dispax-Reactor and MHD powder / liquid
disperser. Polymers can be rapidly added to the asphalt
and solubilized in one step. A batch tank is no longer
needed and the finished product can be immediately
pumped to storage.
Contact:
Mark Hendricks
IKA® Works, Inc.
2635 Northchase Pkwy. SE
Wilmington, NC 28405
Direct ph: 513-831-4410
Phone: 800-733-3037 ext.263
E-mail: markh@ika.net
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