Vulcanization stabilizers for use in epoxy-functional and phospholipid-containing compositions for asphalt applications

Abstract

The present technology provides an asphalt additive comprising a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a vulcanized renewable oil stabilizer wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of from about 1.0% to about 15.0%, and wherein the vulcanized renewable oil stabilizer has: a polymer distribution, the polymer distribution has an oligomer content of from about 2 weight percent (wt%) to about 80 weight percent; optionally, a polydispersity index (PDI), the polydispersity index ranging from about 1.0 to about 5.0; and a sulfur content in the range of from about 0.001 wt% to about 8 wt%. The invention further provides application of the asphalt additive in asphalt application and a preparation method of the asphalt additive.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 382,331, filed on November 4, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present technology relates to asphalt additives for use in asphalt applications. Specifically, the present technology relates to asphalt additives comprising epoxidized renewable oil or fat, phospholipid materials and sulfurized renewable oil stabilizers for use as warm mix asphalt additives or to improve anti-stripping properties in asphalt applications, and methods for preparing and using the same. Summary of the invention

[0004] In one aspect, the present technology provides an asphalt additive, the asphalt additive comprising: a phospholipid material; an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer having: a polymer distribution having an oligomer content of 2 wt % to about 80 wt %; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %; wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a polymerized oil obtained by sulfurization. The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may further have a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0. For example, the asphalt additive may include: a phospholipid material; an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer having: a polymer distribution having an oligomer content of 2 wt% to about 80 wt%; a PDI in the range of about 1.0 to about 5.0; and a sulfur content in the range of about 0.001 wt% to about 8 wt%, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer; wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a polymerized oil obtained via sulfurization.

[0005] In one aspect, the present technology provides for use of an asphalt additive as described herein to reduce or prevent stripping in asphalt applications.

[0006] In another aspect, the present technology provides for use of an asphalt additive as described herein as a compaction aid in asphalt applications.

[0007] In another aspect, the present technology provides for use of an asphalt additive as described herein as a tackifier in asphalt applications.

[0008] In yet another related aspect, the present technology provides the use of an asphalt additive as described herein as a warm mix asphalt additive or a hot mix asphalt additive in an asphalt application. For example, the use of the asphalt additive is as a warm mix asphalt additive. In another example, the use of the asphalt additive is as a hot mix asphalt additive.

[0009] In another aspect, the present technology provides an asphalt binder comprising asphalt; and an asphalt additive as described in any aspect herein.

[0010] In another aspect, the present technology provides an asphalt concrete comprising about 0.25 wt % to about 8.0 wt % of an asphalt binder as described herein in any aspect (based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete) and about 92.00 wt % to about 99.75 wt % of a mineral aggregate (based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete). As described herein, the asphalt binder includes asphalt and an asphalt additive.

[0011] In another aspect, the present technology provides a method for preparing a stable asphalt additive blend. The method for preparing the stable asphalt additive blend comprises:

[0012] The phospholipid material, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer are mixed to obtain an asphalt additive blend, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer has: a polymer distribution, the polymer distribution has an oligomer content of about 2% by weight to about 80% by weight; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001% by weight to about 8% by weight. The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may further have a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0. For example, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer has: a polymer distribution, the polymer distribution has an oligomer content of about 2% by weight to about 80% by weight; a PDI, the PDI is in the range of about 1.0 to about 5.0; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001% by weight to about 8% by weight.

[0013] In another aspect, the present technology provides a method for reducing or preventing delamination, increasing viscosity, aiding compaction, and / or improving durability of asphalt concrete, the method comprising:

[0014] adding the asphalt additive as described herein to asphalt to obtain an asphalt binder, and

[0015] combining the asphalt binder with a mineral aggregate to obtain asphalt concrete;

[0016] The asphalt concrete comprises about 0.25 wt % to about 8.0 wt % of an asphalt binder and about 92.00 wt % to about 99.75 wt % of a mineral aggregate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Reference will now be made in detail to certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter. Although the disclosed subject matter will be described in conjunction with the enumerated claims, it should be understood that the illustrated subject matter is not intended to limit the claims to the disclosed subject matter. An aspect described in conjunction with a particular aspect is not necessarily limited to that aspect and can be practiced with any other aspect.

[0018] Throughout the document, especially in providing written descriptions, all values ​​expressed in range format should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the values ​​explicitly listed as the limits of the range, but also all individual values ​​or sub-ranges covered within the range, as if each value and sub-range were explicitly listed. Any listed range can be easily identified as fully describing and enabling the same range to be broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. For example, a range of "about 0.1% to about 5%" or "about 0.1% to 5%" should be interpreted as including not only about 0.1% to about 5%, but also individual values ​​(e.g., 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%) and sub-ranges (e.g., 0.1% to 0.5%, 1.1% to 2.2%, 3.3% to 4.4%) within the range shown. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, all language such as "at most", "at least", "greater than", "less than", etc. include the listed numbers and refer to ranges that can be subsequently broken down into sub-ranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.

[0019] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the", and similar referents include plural referents in the context of describing elements (especially in the context of the appended claims), unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to "a substituent" encompasses a single substituent as well as two or more substituents, and so forth. It should be understood that any term in the singular may include its plural counterpart, and vice versa, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context.

[0020] In addition, it should be understood that the words or terms used herein and not otherwise defined are for the purpose of description only and not for the purpose of limitation. Any use of section headings is intended to aid in reading the document and should not be construed as limiting; information associated with a section heading may appear within or outside that particular section. In the event of inconsistencies in usage between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated references should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.

[0021] As used herein, the terms "for example," "for example," "such as," or "including" are intended to introduce examples that further illustrate a more general subject matter. Unless otherwise specified, these examples are provided merely as an aid to understanding the applications described in the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0022] In the methods described herein, actions may be performed in a specific order as listed herein. Alternatively, in any aspect disclosed herein, specific actions may be performed in any order without departing from the premise of the principles of the present disclosure, unless a time or sequence of operations is explicitly listed. In addition, the specified actions may be performed simultaneously, unless the explicit claim language states that they are performed separately or the explicit meaning of the claim requires doing so. For example, a claimed action of performing X and a claimed action of performing Y may be performed simultaneously in a single operation, and the resulting process will fall within the literal scope of the claimed process.

[0023] As used herein, "about" will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and will vary to some extent depending on the context in which it is used. If the use of the term is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art, given the context in which it is used, "about" will mean up to plus or minus 10% of the particular term.

[0024] As used herein, the term "substantially" means a majority, or a majority, such as at least about 85%.

[0025] As used herein, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the following terms have the following meanings.

[0026] As used herein, the term "renewable oil or fat" refers to an oil or fat obtained from a plant, animal or microbial source. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "renewable oil or fat" includes renewable oils and fat derivatives. Typically, renewable oils or fats are triacylglycerides. Examples of renewable oils include, but are not limited to, vegetable oils, algae oils, animal fats, tall oils, derivatives of these oils, any combination of these oils, etc. Representative non-limiting examples of vegetable oils include canola oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil, palm kernel oil, tung oil, jatropha oil, mustard oil, camelina oil, iris oil, hemp oil, algae oil, jojoba oil and castor oil. Representative non-limiting examples of animal origin include animal fats, such as lard, tallow, poultry fat, butter grease and fish oil. Tall oil is a byproduct of wood pulp manufacturing. As used herein, "vegetable oil" refers to oil derived from vegetables and / or oilseeds. Typically, the renewable oil or fat may be refined, bleached and / or deodorized. The renewable oil or fat may be present alone or as a mixture thereof. The renewable oil or fat may be modified; for example, the renewable oil or fat may be an epoxidized, hydrogenated and / or fractionated renewable oil or fat. The renewable oil or fat may be a polymerized renewable oil or fat ("polymerized oil") as described in any aspect herein.

[0027] The term "epoxidation" or "oxirane" refers to the presence of an epoxide (or epoxy) ring as shown below:

[0028]

[0029] The term "epoxidized renewable oil or fat" refers to a renewable oil or fat as described herein having an epoxy ring functional group along the fatty acid hydrocarbon chain. Typically, epoxidized renewable oil or fat as described herein can be obtained by modifying the renewable oil or fat with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids or fatty acid derivatives (i.e., polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), etc.). Exemplary renewable oils or fats with high PUFA and / or MUFA content can include, but are not limited to, soybean oil and linseed oil. For example, renewable oils and fats can be epoxidized by treatment with peracids. In order to increase the epoxy content so that the renewable oil or fat has a high concentration of diepoxy fatty acid chains and triepoxy fatty acid chains, the renewable oil or fat can be epoxidized and fractionated.

[0030] The term "ethylene oxide content" or "epoxy ethylene oxide content" (EOC) refers to the ratio of the sum of the total ethylene oxide functional molecular weights in a molecule to the total molecular weight and is expressed as a percentage (%) EOC. The American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) advocates analytical methods for various tests performed on vegetable oils. As used herein, EOC is determined via AOCS Standard Procedure Cd9-57.

[0031] "Acylglyceride" refers to a molecule having at least one glycerol moiety with at least one fatty acid residue attached via an ester bond. For example, acylglycerides may include monoacylglycerides, diacylglycerides, and triacylglycerides. The class of acylglycerides may be further refined by additional descriptive terms and may be modified to specifically exclude or include certain subsets of acylglycerides.

[0032] "Monoacylglyceride" refers to a molecule having a glycerol portion with a single fatty acid residue attached via an ester bond. The terms "monoacylglycerol," "monoacylglyceride," "monoglyceride," and "MAG" are used interchangeably herein. Monoacylglycerides include 2-acylglycerides and 1-acylglycerides.

[0033] "Diacylglyceride" refers to a molecule having a glycerol portion having two fatty acid residues connected via an ester bond. The terms "diacylglycerol," "diacylglyceride," "diglyceride," and "DAG" are used interchangeably herein. Diacylglycerides include 1,2-diacylglycerides and 1,3-diacylglycerides.

[0034] "Triacylglyceride" refers to a molecule having a glycerol portion linked to three fatty acid residues via ester bonds. The terms "triacylglycerol," "triacylglyceride," "triglyceride," and "TAG" are used interchangeably herein.

[0035] As used herein, the term "fatty acid" may refer to a molecule comprising a hydrocarbon chain and a terminal carboxylic acid group. As used herein, the carboxylic acid group of a fatty acid may be modified or esterified, such as when a fatty acid is incorporated into a glyceride or another molecule (e.g., COOR, wherein R refers to, for example, a carbon atom). Alternatively, the carboxylic acid group may be in the form of a free fatty acid or a salt (i.e., COO" or COOH). The "tail" or hydrocarbon chain of a fatty acid may also be referred to as a fatty acid chain, a fatty acid side chain, or a fat chain. The hydrocarbon chain of a fatty acid will generally be a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic group. A fatty acid with N carbons will generally have a fatty acid side chain containing N-1 carbons. However, the present application also relates to modified forms of fatty acids, such as epoxidized fatty acids, so the term fatty acid may be used in the case where the fatty acid has been substituted or otherwise modified as described above.

[0036] A "fatty acid residue" is a fatty acid in its acyl or esterified form.

[0037] "Saturated" fatty acids are fatty acids that do not contain any carbon-carbon double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain. "Unsaturated" fatty acids contain one or more carbon-carbon double bonds. "Polyunsaturated" fatty acids contain more than one such carbon-carbon double bond, while "monounsaturated" fatty acids contain only one carbon-carbon double bond. The carbon-carbon double bond can be in one of two stereo configurations represented as cis and trans. Naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids are typically in the "cis" form. Epoxidized renewable oils or fats may include one or more epoxy rings formed by cis or trans carbon-carbon double bonds.

[0038] Non-limiting examples of fatty acids include C8, C10, C12, C14, C16 (e.g., C16:0, C16:1), C18 (e.g., C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C18:4), C20, and C22 fatty acids. For example, the fatty acid can be caprylic acid (8:0), capric acid (10:0), lauric acid (12:0), myristic acid (14:0), palmitic acid (16:0), stearic acid (18:0), oleic acid (18:1), linoleic acid (18:2), and linolenic acid (18:3).

[0039] The fatty acid composition of oil can be determined by methods well known in the art. The component hydrolysis of oil is used to produce free fatty acids, which are converted into methyl esters and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) to determine the generally accepted standard method of the fatty acid composition of oil samples. AOCS (2009) Ce 1-62 has described the program used.

[0040] The term "sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer", "sulfurized renewable oil" or "sulfurized oil" refers to a renewable oil that has been polymerized by a sulfurization process. Sulfurized renewable oils can generally be referred to as "polymerized renewable oils" or "polymerized oils" having a specific sulfur content. In various aspects, the polymerization performed by sulfurization of renewable oils or fats can be achieved by cross-linking the glyceride fraction of fatty acid chains and / or triglyceride molecules contained in the renewable oil or fat using sulfur-containing compounds (such as sulfur-containing compounds that can be in reduced form). Typically, polymerized oil is the polymerization product of a reaction mixture comprising a starting renewable oil or fat and a sulfur-containing compound. The starting renewable oil or fat can be any suitable renewable oil or fat as described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the starting renewable oil or fat can include triacylglycerols or other oil components from non-natural sources, such as acylglycerols (i.e., TAGs, DAGs, or MAGs) with non-naturally occurring chain lengths.

[0041] In any aspect, the polymerized renewable oil or fat can be obtained by a method comprising: (a) heating a starting renewable oil or fat, (b) adding a sulfur-containing compound to the heated oil or fat, and (c) allowing the sulfur-containing compound to react with the oil to produce a polymerized oil having a polymer distribution with an oligomer content of about 2 wt % to about 80 wt % and a sulfur content of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %. For example, the polymerized oil obtained according to the method described in this paragraph can further have a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0.

[0042] In a first step, the renewable oil or fat is heated to at least 100°C, preferably to at least 115°C, in a container equipped with an agitator. The sulfur-containing compound is gradually added to the heated renewable oil or fat, and the sulfur-containing compound can be added in solid or molten form, however, it should be understood that the sulfur-containing compound can be added before or simultaneously with the renewable oil or fat. The sulfur-containing compound can be elemental sulfur, but is not limited thereto. The reaction between sulfur and the renewable oil or fat can increase the temperature of the renewable oil or fat-sulfur mixture. Preferably, during the reaction, the reaction mixture is maintained at a temperature between about 130°C and 250°C, more preferably between about 130°C and about 220°C, and even more preferably between about 160°C and about 200°C.

[0043] During the polymerization reaction between the renewable oil or fat and sulfur, the oil-sulfur mixture can be continuously aerated with a gas-containing stream. The gas-containing stream can be selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen, air, and other gases. The gas-containing stream can help promote the reaction and can also help reduce odors (H2O) associated with the reaction in the final product. 2S and other sulfides). The use of air can be beneficial because it can cause oxi-polymerization of the renewable oil or fat in addition to the sulfurization process. Optionally, a promoter can be used to increase the rate of the reaction; for example, suitable promoters can include, but are not limited to, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, dithiocarbamates. Suitable sulfurized renewable oils used in the present invention and methods for making them are described in PCT application serial number PCT / US2016 / 019767, entitled "POLYMERIZED OILS&METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME", filed on February 26, 2016, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference for the background information and methods set forth therein. Preferably, the sulfurized renewable oil can be a blend of sulfurized renewable oil and unsulfurized renewable oil. Preferably, the sulfurized renewable oil is not diluted with unsulfurized renewable oil; for example, greater than 85 wt.%, preferably 90 wt.%, more preferably 95 wt.%, even more preferably 99.5 wt.%, most preferably 99 wt.% to 100 wt.%, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil.

[0044] The term "flash point" or "flash point temperature" refers to a measure of the minimum temperature at which a material initially flashes with a short flame. It is measured according to the method of ASTM D-92 using a Cleveland open cup and is reported in degrees Celsius (°C).

[0045] The term "oligomer" refers to a polymer having a number average molecular weight (Mn) greater than 1000. Monomers make up everything else and include monoacylglycerides (NAG), diacylglycerides (DAG), triacylglycerides (TAG), and free fatty acids (FFA).

[0046] The term "polydispersity index" (PDI) (also referred to as "molecular weight distribution") refers to the ratio of the weight average molecular weight (Mw) to the number average molecular weight (Mn). A gel permeation chromatography instrument equipped with a Waters 510 pump and a 410 differential refractometer was used to collect polydispersity data. Samples were prepared at a concentration of approximately 2% in THF solvent. A flow rate of 1 ml / min and a temperature of 35°C were used. The column consisted of a Phenogel 5 micron linear / mixed guard column and a 300×7.8 mm Phenogel 5 micron column (styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer) of 50 angstroms, 100 angstroms, 1000 angstroms, and 10,000 angstroms. The molecular weight was determined using the following standards:

[0047]

[0048] The term "anti-stripping agent" refers to an additive that improves the adhesion between the asphalt binder and the mineral aggregate. The use of an anti-stripping additive results in a more durable combination between the asphalt binder and the mineral aggregate in the presence of moisture, making the combination more resistant to "stripping" or loss of the asphalt coating on the mineral aggregate.

[0049] As used herein, the term "iodine value" (usually abbreviated as IV) is the mass of iodine in grams consumed by 100 grams of chemical substances. Iodine value is often used to determine the amount of unsaturation in fats, oils and waxes. In fatty acids, unsaturation mainly occurs as double bonds that are very reactive to halogens (iodine in this case). Therefore, the higher the iodine value, the higher the unsaturation present in the sample. The iodine value of a material can be determined by the well-known standard Wijs method (AOCS (1993) Cd1-25).

[0050] Warm mix asphalt (WMA) additives are used to reduce the production temperature and compaction temperature of asphalt pavement. These additives often help improve the ability of the asphalt binder to coat the mineral aggregate in the asphalt mixture and allow the mixture to be compacted more easily under rollers with lower mechanical or thermal energy requirements. It is often desirable that such additives also improve the adhesion between the asphalt and the aggregate and the ability of the coating to resist stripping in the presence of moisture. The impact of WMA additives can be demonstrated by their ability to change the compaction rate and density of the asphalt mixture. These additives are often mixed into asphalt as part of the asphalt binder.

[0051] Various theories have been proposed to describe the mechanism of action of various WMA additives, including plasticizing the binder and reducing internal friction between aggregates, although the exact nature of the mechanism is difficult to conclusively determine. Therefore, the discussion of WMA properties is conducted without being limited to a particular mechanistic theory.

[0052] Central to the durability and quality of asphalt concrete is the adhesion that exists at the interface between the asphalt and the mineral aggregate. The adhesion between the asphalt and the mineral aggregate can be weakened over time by many factors, including repeated traffic loads, weather, and moisture damage, which can manifest in various forms, including fatigue cracking and deformation, such as rutting of the pavement mixture. The wettability of the pavement is one of the main contributing factors to the breakdown in asphalt concrete pavements. Moisture can promote debonding by penetrating into the pores of the mineral aggregate and displacing the asphalt film from the surface of the mineral aggregate. Debonding due to loss of adhesion will eventually lead to premature failure of the pavement.

[0053] Asphalt additives comprising a combination of epoxidized renewable oils or fats and phospholipid materials have been shown to exhibit improved adhesion increases. Asphalt additive blends with a combination of epoxidized renewable oils and fats and phospholipid materials have a tendency to form oil gels, thereby increasing the viscosity of the asphalt additive. Unless the blend has been prepared under sufficiently high shear mixing conditions, such oil gels may also cause storage stability problems. However, high shear mixing requirements may cause significant operational and manufacturing challenges. In addition, the inclusion of a lower viscosity secondary component (e.g., vegetable oil) as a diluent or a compatibilizer produces storage stability problems due to the separation of the secondary component.

[0054] Surprisingly, the inventors have discovered that the use of high viscosity vegetable oils (i.e., polymerized via sulfurization) as a minor phase added to epoxidized renewable oils or combinations of fat and phospholipid materials exhibits unexpectedly improved blend stabilization, allowing for improved production of stable blends at low shear (e.g., mixing at or below 1500 rpm). The present invention includes sulfurized renewable oil stabilizers that do not affect the performance of asphalt additives in asphalt applications.

[0055] Asphalt Additives

[0056] In one aspect, the present technology provides an asphalt additive comprising: a phospholipid material; an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer comprising: a polymer distribution having an oligomer content of 2 wt % to about 80 wt %; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %. The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may further have a PD of about 1.0 to 5.0. For example, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may include: a polymer distribution having an oligomer content of 2 wt % to about 80 wt %; a PDI, the PDI is in the range of about 1.0 to about 5.0; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %.

[0057] The asphalt additive may have a weight ratio of phospholipid material to epoxidized renewable oil or fat of about 5: 1 to about 1: 5. For example, the weight ratio may be about 5: 1 to about 1: 5, about 3: 1 to about 1: 3, about 2: 1 to about 1: 2, or about 1: 1. Suitable weight ratios may include about 5: 1, about 4.5: 1, about 4: 1, about 3.5: 1, about 3: 1, about 2.5: 1, about 2: 1, about 1.5: 1, about 1: 1, about 1: 1.5, about 1: 2, about 1: 2.5, about 1: 3, about 1: 3.5, about 1: 4, about 1: 4.5, about 1: 5, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0058] The asphalt additive of the present technology can include the phospholipid material of the amount of about 10.0 weight % to about 80.0 weight %. For example, the phospholipid material can exist in the amount of about 10.0 weight % to about 80.0 weight %, about 10.0 weight % to about 60 weight %, about 40.0 weight % to about 60.0 weight % or about 45.0 weight % to about 55 weight %. The phospholipid material can exist in the amount of about 10.0 weight %, about 15.0 weight %, about 20.0 weight %, about 25.0 weight %, about 30 weight %, about 35 weight %, about 40.0 weight %, about 45.0 weight %, about 50.0 weight %, about 55.0 weight %, about 60.0 weight %, about 65.0 weight %, about 70.0 weight %, about 75.0 weight %, about 80.0 weight % or include and / or exist in the amount of any scope between any two values ​​in the aforementioned values.

[0059] The term "phospholipid material" as used herein refers to a material containing phospholipids. Phospholipids are generally characterized as lipids having a glycerol or sphingosine backbone esterified to two fatty acids and phosphoric acid or phosphate. The phospholipids of the phospholipid material may further include phospholipid derivatives. For example, suitable phospholipid derivatives may include hydrolyzed phospholipids, acetylated phospholipids, epoxidized phospholipids, hydroxylated phospholipids or mixtures thereof. Typically, based on the gross weight of the phospholipid material, the phospholipid material as described herein may include at least about 50% to 100% by weight of phospholipids. For example, the phospholipid material may include at least about 50% to 100% by weight, at least about 60% to 100% by weight, at least about 70% to 100% by weight, at least about 80% to 100% by weight, at least about 90% to 100% by weight.

[0060] Phospholipids can be natural phospholipids, synthetic phospholipids or their combination. As described herein, natural phospholipids can be phospholipids from plants, animals or microbial sources. For example, phospholipids can include but are not limited to phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidic acid or their combination.

[0061] Phospholipid material can include the lecithin material as phospholipid source.As used herein, term " lecithin " or " lecithin material " refers to single acetone insoluble phospholipid or the complex mixture with multiple other compounds, including but not limited to fatty acid, triglyceride, sterol, carbohydrate, glycolipid and water.Lecithin can be obtained from multiple sources, including but not limited to plant source (such as vegetable oil), animal source (such as egg and ox brain) or microbial source.For example, suitable lecithin source can include but not limited to soybean lecithin, rapeseed lecithin, sunflower seed lecithin, egg yolk lecithin, peanut lecithin, corn lecithin, ox brain lecithin, jojoba lecithin or their mixture.About the above-mentioned lecithin source, phospholipid material can be obtained from the crude refining stream containing fatty acid and phosphatidyl material, as described in U.S. Patent No. 10,689,406, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.In addition or alternatively, lecithin can be modified lecithin. For example, modified lecithin may include, but is not limited to, hydrogenated lecithin, epoxidized lecithin, de-oiled lecithin, or mixtures thereof.

[0062] Gross weight based on lecithin material, this lecithin material can comprise the acetone insoluble material of about 5 % by weight to 100 % by weight.The acetone insoluble material of suitable amount can comprise about 5 % by weight to about 100 % by weight, about 5 % by weight to about 75 % by weight, about 30 % by weight to about 70 % by weight or about 40 % by weight to about 65 % by weight.For example, the lecithin material can comprise about 5 % by weight, about 10 % by weight, about 15 % by weight, about 20 % by weight, about 25 % by weight, about 30 % by weight, about 35 % by weight, about 40 % by weight, about 45 % by weight, about 50 % by weight, about 55 % by weight, about 60 % by weight, about 65 % by weight, about 70 % by weight, about 75 % by weight, about 80 % by weight, about 85 % by weight, about 90 % by weight, about 95 % by weight, 100 % by weight or comprise the acetone insoluble material of the amount of any scope between any two values ​​in the aforementioned value. The phospholipid content in the lecithin composition is measured using an acetone insolubility test method known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as AOCS (2017) method Ja 4-46.

[0063] The asphalt additive may include about 10.0 wt % to about 80.0 wt % of the epoxidized renewable oil or fat, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive. For example, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat may be present in an amount of about 10.0 wt % to about 80.0 wt %, about 10.0 wt % to about 60.0 wt %, about 40.0 wt % to about 60.0 wt %, or about 45.0 wt % to about 55 wt %. For example, the asphalt additive may include an amount of about 10.0 wt%, about 15.0 wt%, about 20.0 wt%, about 25.0 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 35 wt%, about 40.0 wt%, about 45.0 wt%, about 50.0 wt%, about 55.0 wt%, about 60.0 wt%, about 65.0 wt%, about 70.0 wt%, about 75.0 wt%, about 80.0 wt%, or any range including any two of the foregoing values ​​and / or between any two of the foregoing values ​​of epoxidized renewable oil or fat.

[0064] Epoxidized renewable oil or fat can have about 1.0% to about 15.0%, about 4.0% to about 12.0%, about 6.0% to about 10.0%, about 8.0% to about 10.0% or any range of ethylene oxide content including and / or between any two values ​​in the aforementioned values. Suitable ethylene oxide content of epoxidized renewable oil or fat can include about 1.0%, about 2.0%, about 3.0%, about 4.0%, about 5.0%, about 6.0%, about 7.0%, about 8.0%, about 9.0%, about 10.0%, about 11.0%, about 12.0%, about 13.0%, about 14.0%, about 15.0% or any range including and / or between any two values ​​in the aforementioned values. Ethylene oxide content can be determined via AOCS Cd 9-57.

[0065] Epoxidized renewable oils or fats include epoxidized fatty acids or epoxidized fatty acid derivatives. For example, epoxidized fatty acids or epoxidized fatty acid derivatives may include, but are not limited to, epoxidized vegetable oils, epoxidized acetylated acylglycerides, epoxidized fatty acid esters, polylactones, or combinations thereof.

[0066] Epoxidized renewable oil or fat can include epoxidized soybean oil, epoxidized canola oil, epoxidized linseed oil, epoxidized soybean methyl ester, epoxidized linseed methyl ester, epoxidized tall oil fatty acid (TOFA), epoxidized acetylated triacylglycerol, epoxidized acetylated diacylglycerol, epoxidized acetylated monoglycerol, epoxidized soy acid 2-ethylhexyl, epoxidized TOFA 2-ethylhexyl, epoxidized soy acid isopentyl, epoxidized palm stearyl isopentyl, epoxidized TOFA isopentyl, epoxidized soy acid isopentyl, epoxidized soybean methyl ester acetate estol, epoxidized jojoba oil or their mixture. Typically, epoxidized renewable oil or fat can include epoxidized soybean oil, epoxidized linseed oil, epoxidized canola oil or their mixture. For example, epoxidized renewable oil or fat can be epoxidized soybean oil. In another example, epoxidized renewable oil or fat can be epoxidized linseed oil.

[0067] The epoxidized renewable oil or fat may be fractionated or be a fractionated epoxidized renewable oil or fat. As used herein, the term "fractionation" refers to the process of separating a renewable oil or fat into several fractions having different properties including hardness and melting point.

[0068] The asphalt additive may include any amount of sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, provided that the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer constitutes a minor component of the asphalt additive relative to the phospholipid material and the epoxidized renewable oil or fat. In any aspect, the asphalt additive may include up to about 35 wt. % of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive. For example, a suitable amount of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer in the asphalt additive may include about 1 wt%, about 2 wt%, about 3 wt%, about 4 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 11 wt%, about 12 wt%, about 13 wt%, about 14 wt%, about 15 wt%, about 16 wt%, about 17 wt%, about 18 wt%, about 19 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 21 wt%, about 22 wt%, about 23 wt%, about 24 wt%, about 25 wt%, about 26 wt%, about 27 wt%, about 28 wt%, about 29 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 31 wt%, about 32 wt%, about 33 wt%, about 34 wt%, about 35 wt%, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values. In any aspect, the asphalt additive may include about 5 wt % to about 35 wt % of a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer. In any aspect, the asphalt additive may include about 10 wt % to about 25 wt % of a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer. In any aspect, the asphalt additive may include about 12 wt % to about 24 wt % of a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer. In any aspect, the asphalt additive may include about 16 wt % to about 22 wt % of a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer.

[0069] Sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a polymerized renewable oil as described herein in any aspect.Polymerized renewable oil can be a polymerized product of a reaction mixture comprising an initial renewable oil or fat and a sulfur-containing compound, wherein the polymerization is sulfurized.Suitable initial renewable oil or fat can include renewable oil or fat as described above, including but not limited to palm oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, tung oil, castor oil, tall oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, corn still oil (recovered corn oil, typically residual liquid produced by the manufacturing process of converting corn into ethanol), other low-cost waste oils (e.g., waste cooking oil or other used oils) or combinations thereof.Suitable sulfur-containing compounds can include sulfur in a reduced form.For example, sulfur-containing compounds can include but are not limited to elemental sulfur.

[0070] The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may have an oligomer content of about 2 wt % to about 80 wt % (about 20 wt % to about 98 wt % monomer), an oligomer content of about 15 wt % to about 60 wt % (about 40 wt % to about 85 wt % monomer), an oligomer content of about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % (about 40 wt % to about 80 wt % monomer), an oligomer content of about 55 wt % to about 75 wt % (about 25 wt % to about 45 wt % monomer), an oligomer content of about 50 wt % to about 75 wt % (about 25 wt % to about 50 wt % monomer), or any range of polymer distribution including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0071] The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may have a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0, about 1.30 to about 2.20, about 1.50 to about 2.05, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0072] The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may have a sulfur content of less than about 8 wt %. For example, the sulfur content of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may be about 0.001 wt %, about 0.005 wt %, about 0.01 wt %, about 0.05 wt %, about 0.1 wt %, about 0.5 wt %, about 1 wt %, about 2 wt %, about 3 wt %, about 4 wt %, about 5 wt %, about 6 wt %, about 7 wt %, about 8 wt %, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0073] The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may have a flash point of about 100°C to about 400°C, about 200°C to about 350°C, about 220°C to about 300°C, about 245°C to about 275°C, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values, as measured via the Cleveland Open Cup method. The viscosity of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may be about 1 cSt to about 100 cSt at 100°C.

[0074] The asphalt additive may have a weight ratio of the phospholipid material, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer that may be from about 1:1:1 to about 45:45:1. In any aspect, the weight ratio may be from about 1:1:1 to about 20:20:2. In any aspect, the weight ratio may be from about 1:1:1 to about 10:10:2. In any aspect, the weight ratio may be from about 10:10:2 to about 2:2:1. In any aspect, the weight ratio may be from about 2:2:1 to about 1:1:1. In any aspect, the weight ratio may be from 20:20:2 to 2:2:1. The weight ratio of the phospholipid material and the epoxidized renewable oil or fat may be a weight ratio as described herein (e.g., from about 5:1 to 1:5), wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a minor component (by weight) relative to the phospholipid material and the epoxidized renewable oil or fat.

[0075] Asphalt additive as described herein can further include fatty acid material, such as soybean oil, linseed oil, canola oil or their mixture.Usually, based on the gross weight of asphalt additive, asphalt additive can include the fatty acid material of about 0.1 wt % to about 40.0 wt %.The suitable amount of fatty acid material can include about 0.1 wt %, about 1.0 wt %, about 5.0 wt %, about 10.0 wt %, about 15.0 wt %, about 20.0 wt %, about 25.0 wt %, about 30.0 wt %, about 35.0 wt %, about 40.0 wt % or include and / or any scope between any two aforementioned values.For example, fatty acid material can be the fatty acid material of fractionation.

[0076] Asphalt additives as described herein typically have a viscosity of about 20 cSt to about 10,000 cSt at 25°C. For example, when the asphalt additive is premixed prior to use in an asphalt application. Suitable viscosities at 25°C may include about 20 cSt, about 30 cSt, about 40 cSt, about 50 cSt, about 60 cSt, about 70 cSt, about 80 cSt, about 90 cSt, about 100 cSt, about 200 cSt, about 300 cSt, about 400 cSt, about 500 cSt, about 600 cSt, about 700 cSt, about 800 cSt, about 900 cSt, about 1,000 cSt, about 1,500 cSt, about 2,000 cSt, about 2,500 cSt, about cSt, about 3,000 cSt, about 3,500 cSt, about 4,000 cSt, about 4,500 cSt, about 5,000 cSt, about 5,500 cSt, about 6,000 cSt, about 6,500 cSt, about 7,000 cSt, about 7,500 cSt, about 8,000 cSt, about 8,000 cSt, about 8,500 cSt, about 9,000 cSt, about 9,500 cSt, about 10,000 cSt, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0077] The inventors have discovered that asphalt additives according to the present technology unexpectedly improve one or more performance characteristics when incorporated into asphalt applications. For example, asphalt additives as described herein exhibit surprising enhancements in the overall performance of asphalt or asphalt concrete, including tackifiers, anti-stripping agents, warm mix asphalt additives, hot mix asphalt additives, compaction aids, and durability of asphalt mixtures.

[0078] Asphalt additives as described herein generally exhibit enhanced viscosification in asphalt applications.

[0079] Asphalt additives as described herein generally exhibit enhanced stripping resistance in asphalt applications.

[0080] Asphalt additives as described herein generally improve compaction in asphalt applications.

[0081] Asphalt additives as described herein generally improve the durability of asphalt mixtures in asphalt applications.

[0082] Asphalt additives as described herein are typically warm mix asphalt additives.

[0083] Alternatively, the asphalt additive as described herein may be a hot mix asphalt additive.

[0084] The asphalt additives of the present technology surprisingly exhibit improved stability. For example, the asphalt additives exhibit improved stability compared to asphalt additives that do not contain one or more of a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable fat or oil, or a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer.

[0085] In one aspect, the present technology provides for use of an asphalt additive as described herein to reduce or prevent stripping in asphalt applications.

[0086] In another aspect, the present technology provides for use of an asphalt additive as described herein as a compaction aid in asphalt applications.

[0087] In another aspect, the present technology provides for use of an asphalt additive as described herein as a tackifier in asphalt applications.

[0088] In yet another related aspect, the present technology provides the use of an asphalt additive as described herein as a warm mix asphalt additive or a hot mix asphalt additive in an asphalt application. For example, the use of the asphalt additive is as a warm mix asphalt additive. In another example, the use of the asphalt additive is as a hot mix asphalt additive.

[0089] Asphalt Binder

[0090] In another aspect, the present technology provides an asphalt binder comprising asphalt; and an asphalt additive as described in any aspect herein. For the purposes of the present technology, the term "bitumen" or "asphalt" refers to the binding phase of asphalt concrete and is a class of black or dark solid, semisolid, resinous or viscous cementitious materials - natural, recycled or manufactured - composed primarily of high molecular weight polar hydrocarbon materials (e.g., asphaltenes), of which asphalt, tar, bitumen and asphaltenes are typical. (Asphalt, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, John Wiley Sons Inc.)

[0091] Based on the gross weight of the asphalt binder, the asphalt binder can include about 0.1 wt % to about 3.0 wt % of asphalt additive as described herein. For example, the asphalt binder can be present in the asphalt binder in an amount of about 0.1 wt % to about 3.0 wt %, about 0.1 wt % to about 2.0 wt %, about 0.1 wt % to about 1.5 wt %, about 0.3 wt % to about 1.0 wt % or about 0.3 wt % to about 0.7 wt %. A suitable amount of asphalt additive can include about 0.1 wt %, 0.2 wt %, 0.3 wt %, 0.4 wt %, about 0.5 wt %, about 0.6 wt %, about 0.7 wt %, about 0.8 wt %, about 0.9 wt %, about 1.0 wt %, about 1.5 wt %, about 2.0 wt %, about 2.5 wt %, about 3.0 wt % or any range including and / or between any two values ​​in the aforementioned values.

[0092] The asphalt binder may include about 97.0% to about 99.9% by weight of asphalt, based on the total weight of the asphalt binder. Suitable amounts of asphalt present in the asphalt binder may include about 97.0%, about 97.5%, about 98.0%, 98.5%, about 99.0%, about 99.1%, about 99.2%, about 99.3%, about 99.4%, about 99.5%, about 99.6%, about 99.7%, about 99.8%, about 99.9%, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0093] Asphalt binders as described herein may further include one or more additional additives suitable for asphalt applications. For example, the one or more additional additives may include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic elastomers and thermoplastic polymers (such as styrene-butadiene-styrene, ethylene vinyl acetate, functionalized polyolefins, etc.), polyphosphoric acid (PPA), anti-stripping additives (such as amine-based, phosphate-based, etc.), warm mix additives, emulsifiers, fibers, or mixtures thereof.

[0094] Asphalt binders as described herein may further include PPA. Typically, the asphalt binder may include about 0.1 wt % to about 5.0 wt % PPA, based on the gross weight of the asphalt binder. For example, the asphalt binder may include about 0.1 wt %, about 0.5 wt %, about 1.0 wt %, about 1.5 wt %, about 2.0 wt %, about 2.5 wt %, about 3.0 wt %, about 3.5 wt %, about 4.0 wt %, about 4.5 wt %, about 5.0 wt %, or any range of amounts including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0095] Asphalt concrete

[0096] In another aspect, the present technology provides an asphalt concrete comprising about 0.25 wt % to about 8.0 wt % of an asphalt binder as described herein in any aspect (based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete) and about 92.00 wt % to about 99.75 wt % of a mineral aggregate (based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete). As described herein, the asphalt binder includes asphalt and an asphalt additive.

[0097] The asphalt concrete as described herein may include about 0.25 wt % to about 8.0 wt %, about 0.25 wt % to about 6.5 wt %, about 0.25 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, about 0.30 wt % to about 4.0 wt %, or about 0.5 wt % to about 3.5 wt % asphalt binder, based on the total weight of the asphalt. For example, the asphalt binder may be present in the asphalt concrete in an amount of about 0.25 wt%, about 0.30 wt%, about 0.40 wt%, about 0.50 wt%, about 0.60 wt%, about 0.70 wt%, about 0.80 wt%, about 0.90 wt%, about 1.0 wt%, about 1.5 wt%, about 2.0 wt%, about 2.5 wt%, about 3.0 wt%, about 3.5 wt%, about 4.0 wt%, about 4.5 wt%, about 5.0 wt%, about 5.5 wt%, about 6.0 wt%, about 6.5 wt%, about 7.0 wt%, about 7.5 wt%, about 8.0 wt%, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0098] "Mineral aggregate" refers to a solid and usually inert load-supporting component, including but not limited to clay, sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag or rock chips of asphalt concrete. Mineral aggregate can be further characterized by its calcium carbonate content. For the purpose of this technology, the calcium carbonate concentration of the mineral aggregate can be determined to classify the chemical properties of the aggregate. The main component of limestone is calcium carbonate, which can be determined by reverse titration, which includes adding excess acid to an unknown alkaline aggregate and then titrating back to the endpoint with standard NaOH. Typically, the mineral aggregate used in asphalt applications can be the result of one or more aggregate sources (e.g., stone, rock, gravel, etc.) as described herein, wherein each aggregate can be further crushed, screened or graded to meet various mineral aggregate grades. The mineral aggregate grades used in asphalt applications are usually classified according to application with terms such as "dense grade", "gap grade", "good grade" and "bad grade". The mineral aggregate grades in asphalt applications are usually limited by the maximum sieve size that retains a portion of the grade. For example, the maximum size can include but is not limited to 1.5", 1", 3 / 4" and 1 / 2" sieve sizes.

[0099] The asphalt concrete can include mineral aggregate in an amount of about 92.00 wt%, about 92.50 wt%, about 93.00 wt%, about 93.50 wt%, about 94.00 wt%, about 94.50 wt%, about 95.00 wt%, about 95.50 wt%, about 96.00 wt%, about 96.50 wt%, about 97.00 wt%, about 97.50 wt%, about 98.0 wt%, about 98.5 wt%, about 99.0 wt%, about 99.25 wt%, about 99.50 wt%, about 99.75 wt%, or any range including and / or between any two of the foregoing values.

[0100] Asphalt concrete may further include recycled materials. For example, the recycled materials may include recycled asphalt materials, recycled aggregates, recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) abrasives, recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), or mixtures thereof.

[0101] method

[0102] In another aspect, the present technology provides a method for preparing a stable asphalt additive blend. The method for preparing the stable asphalt additive blend comprises:

[0103] A phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer are mixed to obtain an asphalt additive blend, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat having an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer comprises: a polymer distribution of oligomer content of about 2% to about 80% by weight; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001% to about 8% by weight. The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may further include a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0. For example, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may comprise: a polymer distribution of oligomer content of about 2% to about 80% by weight; a PDI, the PDI is in the range of about 1.0 to about 5.0; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001% to about 8% by weight.

[0104] The method may further include heating the epoxidized renewable oil or fat, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, and the phospholipid material prior to mixing, combining the epoxidized renewable oil or fat and the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer to obtain a first blend, mixing the first blend, combining the first blend with the phospholipid material, and mixing the first blend with the phospholipid material.

[0105] The inventors surprisingly discovered that the method of the present invention is a scalable method for producing a homogenized and storage-stable asphalt additive blend from an epoxidized renewable oil or fat and a phospholipid material in the presence of a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer when prepared under low shear. Low shear mixing can be performed according to any suitable method known in the art, including methods suitable for factory (or large-scale) manufacturing. For example, mixing can be performed with any suitable manufacturing equipment sufficient to obtain a homogenized mixture under low shear to produce the asphalt additive system of the present invention.

[0106] In one example, low shear mixing may include, but is not limited to, blending phospholipid materials, epoxidized renewable oils or fats and sulfurized renewable oil stabilizers at a shear rate including about 500rpm to about 1500rpm, about 600rpm to about 1500rpm, about 750rpm to about 1500rpm, about 1000rpm to about 1500rpm, or any range including and / or between any two values ​​in the aforementioned values. Alternatively, the mixing may include blending at a high shear rate, such as a shear rate greater than 1500rpm and up to about 3500rpm. Suitable high shear rates may include, but are not limited to, about 1600rpm to about 3500rpm, about 2000rpm to about 3500rpm, about 2500rpm to about 3000rpm, about 3000rpm to about 3500rpm, or any range including and / or between any two values ​​in the aforementioned values.

[0107] The resulting asphalt additive blend is consistent with the asphalt additive as described in any aspect herein.

[0108] The method may be performed for batch or continuous preparation of asphalt additive blends.

[0109] In one aspect, the present technology provides a method for preparing an asphalt binder, the method comprising: mixing a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer to obtain an asphalt additive blend, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat having an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer comprises: a polymer distribution having an oligomer content of about 2 wt % to about 80 wt %; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %. The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may further include a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0. For example, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer may include: a polymer distribution of an oligomer content of about 2 wt % to about 80 wt %; a PDI, the PDI is in the range of about 1.0 to about 5.0; and a sulfur content, based on the total weight of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfur content is in the range of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %.

[0110] In another aspect, the present technology provides a method for reducing or preventing delamination, increasing viscosity, aiding compaction, and / or improving durability of asphalt concrete, the method comprising:

[0111] adding the asphalt additive as described herein to asphalt to obtain an asphalt binder, and

[0112] combining the asphalt binder with a mineral aggregate to obtain asphalt concrete;

[0113] The asphalt concrete comprises about 0.25 wt % to about 8.0 wt % of an asphalt binder and about 92.00 wt % to about 99.75 wt % of a mineral aggregate.

[0114] The invention thus generally described will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples, which are provided by way of illustration and are not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0115] Example

[0116] General methods and materials .

[0117] Sulfurized refined soybean oil (Sf.SBO) is prepared as described in PCT application serial number PCT / US2016 / 019767. Specifically, when prepared in the laboratory, a certain amount of precipitated sulfur is added to a 1-liter round-bottom flask containing 650 grams of vegetable oil. The reactor is then heated to the target reaction temperature using a heating jacket, taking care not to exceed the target temperature by more than 5°C. The reaction mixture is stirred using a motorized stirrer with a stirring shaft and blades. The reaction is continuously aerated with nitrogen at 2-12 standard cubic feet per hour (SCFH). Any distillate is collected using a condenser and a receiving flask.

[0118] Note that when sulfur melts into the oil, the reaction will form foam at about 110°C to 115°C. The reaction was monitored using GPC to measure oligomer content and distribution, and viscosity was measured using ASTM D445 at 40°C. The reaction was considered complete when the desired oligomer content was reached. The reactor was then cooled to 60°C.

[0119] In the following examples, Sf.SBO samples were prepared by reacting refined soybean oil with 7.0 wt% elemental sulfur at 175°C to 185°C for about 33 hours under nitrogen aeration to produce a polymerized oil (via sulfurization) having an oligomer content of about 70.0 wt% and a sulfur content of 7.0 wt%. Although it is possible to dilute the sulfurized oil with additional vegetable oil or derivative (i.e., unsulfurized oil), it was found that undiluted sulfurized oil was preferred due to improved storage stability in the blends described in these examples.

[0120] Blending process

[0121] For laboratory batches, an overhead drill mixer was used for low shear blending at 600 rpm or 1500 rpm. High shear mixing was performed using an IKA Ultra Turrax T50 model with R1402 dissolver and rotor / stator G45-G at a shear rate of 3000 to 3500 rpm.

[0122] All components were heated to 50°C to obtain lower viscosity, but not so high as to exceed the phospholipid decomposition temperature. For blends including Sf.SBO, Sf.SBO was first blended with epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) at target concentrations. Soy lecithin (SL) was slowly added to the Sf.SBO / ELO mixture at low or high shear rates.

[0123] Stability test method

[0124] Centrifugation :

[0125] To evaluate the long term storage stability of the different blends, the samples were centrifuged at 2300 rpm for a total of 40 minutes. This test method simulates static storage over the course of 8 to 10 weeks for evaluating phase separation of asphalt additives.

[0126] Visual assessment was performed at different time intervals of 10 min, 20 min and 40 min. The phase properties of the blend were evaluated at each time interval at room temperature. The results were recorded as volume % of "supernatant" and "precipitant" based on the scale on the vial.

[0127] The "supernatant" was defined as the translucent layer when the vial was kept under light, and the "precipitate" was defined as the muddy layer at the bottom that separated and adhered to the bottom of the vial immediately after turning the vial upside down.

[0128] Lower values ​​for supernatant and precipitant would indicate higher stability and are more desirable.

[0129] In this study, the key elements of phase property evaluation were determined to be the extent of precipitation and supernatant (clear top layer). Precipitate and supernatant were selected as qualitative measurements of storage stability. Precipitate and supernatant were measured in milliliters and converted to volume % based on the total volume of the mixture.

[0130] Example 1 - Effect of shear rate and type on the stability of asphalt additive blends .

[0131] Following the blending process described herein, low shear blends were prepared at 600 rpm and 1500 rpm, while high shear blends were prepared at 3250 rpm. The relative ratio of SL to ELO was maintained at 1:1, while the minor component accounted for 20% by weight of the final blend. The overall blend ratio of SL / ELO / Sf.SBO was 2:2:1. The blend ratios and stability test results are shown in Table 1.

[0132]

[0133] As shown in Table 1, blends containing Sf.SBO as a minor component stabilizer show significant improvement over blends with SL / ELO alone. Thus, SL / ELO / Sf.SBO blends exhibit improved blend stability in terms of supernatant and precipitant separation compared to two-component SL / ELO blends.

[0134] Example 2 - Effect of adding different minor components during the blending process of ELO and SL .

[0135] Following the previously described blending procedure, blends were made at a low shear of 600 rpm. In each blend, the relative ratio of SL to ELO was maintained at 1:1, while the minor component accounted for 20% of the final blend. The overall blending ratio of SL / ELO / minor component can be described as 2:2:1 by weight. The minor components compared were selected from Sf.SBO (a refined bleached and deodorized soybean (SBO)) and fuel grade soybean methyl ester (SME). The blending ratios and stability test results are shown in Table 2.

[0136]

[0137] As shown in Table 2, blends containing Sf.SBO as a minor component stabilizer show significantly improved stability in terms of supernatant and precipitant compared to SL / ELO blends and three-component blends with SME and SBO as minor components, respectively. Specifically, blends containing SBO and SME as low viscosity diluents show significantly reduced stability compared to SL / ELO blends and SL / ELO / Sf.SBO blends.

[0138] Example 3A - Effect of Sf. SBO Concentration on Stability of Asphalt Additives .

[0139] The blends were prepared at low shear of 600 rpm following the blending procedure described previously. The relative ratio of SL to ELO was maintained at 1:1, while the minor components were gradually varied from 5% to 33.3% of the final blend. The blending ratios and stability test results are shown in Table 3.

[0140]

[0141] As shown in Table 3, increasing Sf.SBO concentration continuously improves stability in terms of supernatant up to 20% concentration. Additional loading of Sf.SBO (33 wt%) shows improved stability compared to the two-component SL / ELO blend alone. In terms of precipitate, the maximum benefit is obtained after 5% inclusion, and further increases do not produce additional improvements. Overall, the results show that the inclusion of Sf.SBO improves stability under low shear compared to SL / ELO blends.

[0142] Example 3B - Effect of Sf.SBO on the Stability of 1:1 SL / ELO Blends .

[0143] The blends were prepared following the previously described blending procedure at high shear of 2000 rpm. As shown in Table 4, for both blends, the relative ratio of SL to ELO was maintained at 1:1, while the minor components were added to the second blend to 20% of the final blend during the mixing process. The blending ratios and stability test results are shown in Table 4.

[0144] Table 4. Effect of inclusion of Sf.SBO on stability test results under high shear, with a fixed blend ratio of 1: 1SL / ELO .

[0145]

[0146] Example 3C - Effect of Sf.SBO on the Stability of 2:7SL / ELO Blends .

[0147] The blends were prepared at high shear of 2000 rpm following the blending procedure described previously. The relative ratio of SL to ELO was maintained at 2:7, with the minor component accounting for 10% of the final blend. The 2:7 SL / ELO blend with a higher proportion of ELO exhibited significantly lower stability compared to 1:1 SL / ELO, with significant improvements observed with the addition of 10% Sf.SBO of the final blend during the mixing process. The blending ratios and stability test results are shown in Table 5.

[0148] Table 5. Effect of inclusion of Sf.SBO on stability test results under high shear with a fixed blend ratio of 2: 7SL / ELO .

[0149]

[0150] As shown in Tables 4 and 5, the incorporation of Sf.SBO significantly improved stability at high shear of 2000 RPM compared to the two-component SL / ELO blend, as indicated by the level of sediment after centrifugation at 2300 RPM for 15 min and 30 min. 20% of the minor component by weight of the final blend was added to the SL / ELO blend (relative ratio of 1:1), and improvements of 9.2% and 15.6% in sediment at centrifugation for 15 min and 30 min, respectively, were observed compared to the two-component blend system.

[0151] Surprisingly significant improvements of 66% and 66.7% were observed in the sediment at 15 min and 30 min of centrifugation, respectively, with the addition of the minor components in 2:7 SL / ELO compared to the SL / ELO blend.

[0152] Overall, the results show that the inclusion of Sf.SBO improves stability under high shear compared to SL / ELO blends. The 2:7:1 SL / ELO / Sf.SBO blend surprisingly exhibits significantly improved stability compared to the two-component SL / ELO blend.

[0153] Example 4 - Synergy in asphalt applications by adding Sf.SBO to SL / ELO asphalt additives Evaluation of the anti-stripping properties .

[0154] The vibration table stripping test was used to evaluate the resistance to stripping. This test is used to evaluate the affinity between aggregate and asphalt after the asphalt-covered aggregate is conditioned for a period of time in water at 60°C under variable speed track stirring. The test method is based on the Quebec DOT method ("Evaluation of the resistance to stripping of a binder on a given aggregate surface" Quebec Department of Transportation, 2002) for adjustment. Suitable track stirring speeds can be 1 rpm to 300 rpm, such as 100 rpm to 200 rpm. Suitable test times can be 1 hour to 48 hours, such as 6 hours to 24 hours. The stirring of the mixture simulates potential moisture damage in the pavement mixture and explains the displacement mechanism and the possibility of the asphalt-covered aggregate being stripped by water. The percentage of the asphalt coating retained on the aggregate is then visually evaluated by quantifying the asphalt-covered rock, wherein 90% of the coated rock is considered qualified compared to the uncoated rock. In this embodiment, a stirring speed of 200 rpm, a test temperature of 60°C and a test time of 25h are used for a 75 gram asphalt mixture sample prepared as described.

[0155] In this embodiment, the mineral aggregates used are all graded to a size of 4.75 mm to 9.5 mm. Aggregates are washed on a sieve under running tap water to remove any debris and dust that may hinder the coverage surface area of ​​the aggregates, and then dried in a forced-air oven at 100 ° C. These processes are followed to reduce the variability of the test results recorded on the Quebec DOT method. This procedure is an improvement of the existing Quebec DOT stripping test. The prepared asphalt binder comprises 99.5% by weight of asphalt and 0.5% by weight of a warm mix additive blend (asphalt additive blend). A blend with an asphalt binder is prepared by heating the binder to 150 ° C in a forced-air oven, adding an appropriate weight of room temperature additives, and blending for 30 s using a metal scraper. By weight of the aggregate, 3.2% by weight of the asphalt binder is further combined and blended with the mineral aggregate for 2 min. The dosage level of the additive may depend on the mineralogy of the aggregate, such as the surface chemistry and grade of the aggregate. The asphalt binder-aggregate mixture was then placed in a 150°C forced air oven to ensure uniform coating of the aggregate. This sequence was repeated 4 to 5 times until the mixture was evenly dispersed. The completed blend was then transferred, spread evenly on a flat surface, and allowed to cure for 24 hours. About 75 g of the material and 100 g of water were transferred to a 120 mL bottle and placed on an orbital shaker to evaluate the stripping potential of the asphalt mixture.

[0156] The asphalt binder used in this example is a standard paving grade binder named PG 64-22. The aggregate used contained 53.97% CaCO3. Table 4 shows the measurement results from two repeated tests and the associated averages. For the case of blends, the "predicted" performance is calculated as the weighted linear average of the performance of each individual component in the asphalt mixture. If no synergistic interaction occurs due to the blending of the components, the measured results are expected to be statistically similar to the predicted results.

[0157] As shown in Table 6, the 1:1 SL / ELO additive exhibits greater anti-strip performance than the linear average of the individual performances of SL and ELO as additives. The 2:2:1 SL / ELO / Sf.SBO blend surprisingly exhibits comparable anti-strip performance (i.e., no statistically significant loss) as compared to the 1:1 SL / ELO blend for either low shear or high shear blending profiles. This is an unexpected but significant result as it indicates that the addition of Sf.SBO not only allows for the preparation of stable SL and ELO blends at low shear, but does so without diluting performance or product efficiency.

[0158] Table 6. Improvement of coating over control mixture (no additive) .

[0159]

[0160] Example 5 - Synergy in asphalt applications by adding Sf.SBO to SL / ELO asphalt additives Evaluation of the anti-stripping properties .

[0161] The peel resistance was evaluated using a shaking table peel test, as previously described. As shown in Table 7, both the 1:1 SL / ELO and 2:7:1 SL / ELO / Sf.SBO additives exhibited greater peel resistance than the linear average of the individual performance of SL, ELO and / or Sf.SBO as additives. This is an unexpected but significant result as it indicates that the addition of Sf.SBO not only allows the preparation of stable SL and ELO blends at higher ratios of ELO under high shear, but also does so without diluting performance or product efficiency.

[0162] Overall, the addition of Sf.SBO does not affect the performance efficiency of asphalt additives in asphalt applications.

[0163] Table 7. Improvement of coating over control mixture (no additive) .

[0164]

[0165] As shown in Examples 3A to 3C, 4 and 5, the incorporation of Sf.SBO not only demonstrates the performance efficiency of the additive in asphalt applications, but also significantly improves the stability compared to the two-component blend.

[0166] Exemplary Aspects

[0167] The following exemplary aspects of the invention are set forth in the following clauses, the numbering of which should not be construed as designating a level of importance:

[0168] 1. An asphalt additive, comprising:

[0169] Phospholipid materials;

[0170] epoxidized renewable oil or fat, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; and

[0171] A sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer comprising:

[0172] A polymer distribution having about 2 weight percent (wt %)

[0173] to an oligomer content of about 80 wt %; and

[0174] a sulfur content ranging from about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %;

[0175] and

[0176] The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a polymerized oil obtained by sulfurization.

[0177] 2. The asphalt additive of clause 1, wherein the asphalt additive comprises a phospholipid material and an epoxidized renewable oil or fat in a weight ratio of about 5:1 to about 1:5.

[0178] 3. The asphalt additive according to clause 1 or 2, wherein the asphalt additive comprises a phospholipid material and an epoxidized renewable oil or fat in a weight ratio of about 3:1 to about 1:3.

[0179] 4. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the asphalt additive comprises a phospholipid material and an epoxidized renewable oil or fat in a weight ratio of about 2:1 to about 1:2.

[0180] 5. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the asphalt additive comprises a phospholipid material and an epoxidized renewable oil or fat in a weight ratio of about 1:1.

[0181] 6. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the asphalt additive comprises from about 10.0 wt. % to about 80.0 wt. % of the phospholipid material, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

[0182] 7. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the asphalt additive comprises from about 10.0 wt. % to about 60.0 wt. % of the phospholipid material, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

[0183] 8. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the phospholipid material comprises at least about 50 wt% to 100 wt% phospholipids, based on the total weight of the phospholipid material.

[0184] 9. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the phospholipid material comprises at least about 80 wt% to 100 wt% phospholipids based on the total weight of the phospholipid material.

[0185] 10. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the phospholipid comprises a natural phospholipid, a synthetic phospholipid or a combination thereof.

[0186] 11. The asphalt additive according to clause 10, wherein the natural phospholipids comprise phospholipids from plant, animal or microbial sources.

[0187] 12. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the phospholipid material comprises phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid or a combination thereof.

[0188] 13. An asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the phospholipid material comprises a lecithin material.

[0189] 14. The asphalt additive of clause 13, wherein the lecithin material comprises from about 5 wt % to about 100 wt % acetone insoluble matter.

[0190] 15. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 14, wherein the lecithin material comprises soy lecithin, rapeseed lecithin, sunflower seed lecithin, egg yolk lecithin, peanut lecithin, corn lecithin, bovine brain lecithin, jojoba lecithin or a mixture thereof.

[0191] 16. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 15, wherein the additive comprises from about 10.0 wt. % to about 80.0 wt. % of the epoxidized renewable oil or fat, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

[0192] 17. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 16, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 4.0% to about 12.0%.

[0193] 18. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 17, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 6.0% to about 10.0%.

[0194] 19. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 18, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 8.0% to about 10.0%.

[0195] 20. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 19, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat comprises an epoxidized fatty acid or fatty acid derivative.

[0196] 21. The asphalt additive according to clause 20, wherein the epoxidized fatty acid or fatty acid derivative comprises epoxidized vegetable oil, epoxidized acetylated acylglyceride, epoxidized glycidyl ether, epoxidized fatty acid ester, polylactone or mixtures thereof.

[0197] 22. An asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 21, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat comprises epoxidized soybean oil, epoxidized canola oil, epoxidized linseed oil, epoxidized soy methyl ester, epoxidized linseed methyl ester, epoxidized tall oil fatty acid (TOFA), epoxidized acetylated triacylglycerols, epoxidized acetylated diacylglycerols, epoxidized acetylated monoacylglycerols, epoxidized jojoba oil, epoxidized 2-ethylhexyl soyate, epoxidized TOFA 2-ethylhexyl ester, epoxidized soyate isoamyl ester, epoxidized palm stearyl isoamyl ester, epoxidized TOFA isoamyl ester, epoxidized soyate isoamyl ester, epoxidized soy methyl acetate estolactone or a mixture thereof.

[0198] 23. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 22, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat comprises epoxidized linseed oil, epoxidized soybean oil, or a mixture thereof.

[0199] 24. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 22, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat comprises epoxidized linseed oil.

[0200] 25. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 22, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat comprises epoxidized soybean oil.

[0201] 26. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 25, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has been fractionated.

[0202] 27. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 26, wherein the asphalt additive comprises up to about 35 wt% of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

[0203] 28. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 27, wherein the asphalt additive comprises from about 1 wt % to about 35 wt % of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

[0204] 29. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 28, wherein the asphalt additive comprises from about 16 wt% to about 22 wt% of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

[0205] 30. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 29, wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer has a polymer distribution with an oligomer content of about 55 wt% to about 75 wt%.

[0206] 31. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 30, wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer has a sulfur content of about 2 wt% to about 6 wt%.

[0207] 32. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 31, wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer further has a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0, preferably about 1.30 to about 2.20.

[0208] 33. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 32, wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer has a flash point in the range of about 100°C to about 400°C.

[0209] 34. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 33, wherein the sulphurized renewable oil stabilizer is the polymerization product of a reaction mixture comprising a sulphur-containing compound and a starting renewable oil or fat, and wherein the polymerization is a sulphurization.

[0210] 35. The asphalt additive of clause 34, wherein the starting renewable oil or fat is selected from the group consisting of palm oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, tung oil, castor oil, tall oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, corn stillage, and combinations thereof.

[0211] 36. An asphalt additive according to clause 34 or clause 35, wherein the sulphur-containing compound comprises elemental sulphur.

[0212] 37. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 35, wherein the asphalt additive comprises a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a sulphurized renewable oil stabiliser in a weight ratio of 45:45:1 to 1:1:1.

[0213] 38. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 36, wherein the asphalt additive comprises a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a sulphurized renewable oil stabiliser in a weight ratio of 10:10:2 to 2:2:1.

[0214] 39. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 38, wherein the asphalt additive further comprises a fatty acid material, wherein the fatty acid material comprises soybean oil, linseed oil, canola oil or a mixture thereof.

[0215] 40. The asphalt additive of Clause 27, wherein the additive comprises from about 0.1 wt% to about 40 wt% of the fatty acid material, based on the total weight of the additive.

[0216] 41. An asphalt additive according to clause 39 or 40 wherein the fatty acid material has been fractionated.

[0217] 42. The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 39 to 41, wherein the additive comprises from about 1 wt% to about 35 wt% fatty acid material, based on the total weight of the additive.

[0218] 43. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 42, wherein the asphalt additive is a warm mix asphalt additive.

[0219] 4. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 43, wherein the asphalt additive is a hot mix asphalt additive.

[0220] 45. An asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 44, wherein the asphalt additive enhances one or more performance properties in asphalt applications, the one or more performance properties comprising adhesion, compaction, durability, resistance to stripping, or a combination thereof.

[0221] 46. ​​The asphalt additive of any one of clauses 1 to 45, wherein the asphalt additive exhibits improved stability compared to an asphalt additive that does not contain one or more of a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable fat or oil, or a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer.

[0222] 47. Use of an asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46 to reduce or prevent stripping in asphalt applications.

[0223] 48. Use of an asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46 as a compaction aid in asphalt applications.

[0224] 49. Use of a bitumen additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46 for viscosity enhancement in bitumen applications.

[0225] 50. Use of the asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46 as a warm mix asphalt additive or a hot mix asphalt additive in asphalt applications.

[0226] 51. An asphalt binder, comprising:

[0227] Asphalt; and

[0228] A bitumen additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46.

[0229] 52. The asphalt binder of clause 51, wherein the asphalt binder comprises from about 0.1 wt% to about 3.0 wt% of the asphalt additive, based on the total weight of the asphalt binder.

[0230] 53. The asphalt binder of clause 51 or clause 52, wherein the asphalt binder comprises from about 0.3 wt% to about 0.7 wt% of the asphalt additive, based on the total weight of the asphalt binder.

[0231] 54. An asphalt binder according to any one of clauses 51 to 53, wherein the asphalt binder comprises from about 97.0 wt% to about 99.9 wt% asphalt, based on the total weight of the asphalt binder.

[0232] 55. An asphalt binder according to any one of clauses 51 to 54, further comprising one or more additional additives.

[0233] 56. An asphalt binder according to any one of clauses 51 to 55, further comprising polyphosphoric acid.

[0234] 57. An asphalt concrete, comprising:

[0235] From about 0.25 wt. % to about 8.0 wt. % of an asphalt binder, based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete, the asphalt binder comprising:

[0236] Asphalt; and

[0237] An asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46; and

[0238] Mineral aggregate.

[0239] 58. The asphalt concrete of clause 57, wherein the asphalt concrete comprises from about 92.0 wt. % to about 99.75 wt. % mineral aggregate, based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete.

[0240] 59. A method for preparing a stable asphalt additive blend, the method comprising:

[0241] mixing a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer to obtain an asphalt additive blend, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat having an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%;

[0242] The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer includes:

[0243] A polymer distribution having about 2 weight percent (wt %)

[0244] to an oligomer content of about 80% by weight;

[0245] Optionally, a polydispersity index (PDI), the polydispersity index ranging from about 1.0 to about 5.0; and

[0246] A sulfur content in the range of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %; wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a polymerized oil obtained through sulfurization.

[0247] 60. The method of clause 59, wherein the asphalt additive comprises a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer in a weight ratio of 45:45:1 to 1:1:1.

[0248] 61. The method of clause 59 or 60, wherein the asphalt additive blend comprises the phospholipid material, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer in a weight ratio of 10:10:2 to 2:2:1.

[0249] 62. The method according to any one of clauses 59 to 61, wherein the mixing comprises blending at a shear rate of about 600 rpm to about 1500 rpm.

[0250] 63. The method according to any one of clauses 59 to 61, wherein the mixing comprises blending at a shear rate greater than 1500 rpm.

[0251] 64. The method according to any one of clauses 59 to 61, wherein the mixing comprises blending at a shear rate of greater than 1500 rpm to about 3500 rpm.

[0252] 65. The method according to clause 64, wherein the mixing comprises blending at a shear rate of about 3000 rpm to about 3500 rpm.

[0253] 66. The method of any one of clauses 59 to 65, wherein the asphalt additive blend exhibits improved stability compared to an asphalt additive without one or more of a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable fat or oil, or a sulphurized renewable oil stabilizer.

[0254] 67. An asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 59 to 66, wherein the asphalt additive blend enhances one or more performance properties in asphalt applications, the one or more performance properties comprising adhesion, compaction, durability, resistance to stripping, or a combination thereof.

[0255] 68. A method according to any one of clauses 59 to 67, wherein the asphalt additive blend is a warm mix asphalt additive.

[0256] 69. The method of any one of clauses 59 to 67, wherein the asphalt additive blend is a hot mix asphalt additive.

[0257] 70. A method for preparing an asphalt binder, the method comprising:

[0258] The bitumen is combined with a bitumen additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46.

[0259] 71. The method of clause 70, further comprising combining one or more additional additives with the asphalt and the asphalt additive.

[0260] 72. A method for reducing or preventing debonding, increasing viscosity, aiding compaction and / or improving durability of asphalt concrete, the method comprising:

[0261] combining a bituminous additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 46 with bitumen to obtain a bituminous binder, and

[0262] combining the asphalt binder with a mineral aggregate to obtain asphalt concrete;

[0263] The asphalt binder comprises about 0.25 wt % to about 8.0 wt % of the asphalt concrete.

[0264] Thus, the examples provided herein show that the asphalt additives of the present technology exhibit improved storage stability compared to asphalt additives without a combination of phospholipid materials, epoxidized renewable oils or fats, and sulfurized renewable oil stabilizers. In addition, the asphalt additives of the present invention exhibit synergistic anti-stripping properties.

[0265] Each of the above non-limiting aspects may exist independently, or may be combined with one or more of the other aspects or other themes described in this document in various permutations and combinations. Although the present invention has been shown and described in certain aspects, those of ordinary skill in the art may make changes, replacements of equivalents, and other types of changes to the present technology as described herein after reading the foregoing description. Each of the aspects described above may also include or incorporate such changes or aspects disclosed with respect to any or all other aspects.

[0266] The present technology is also not limited to the specific aspects described herein, which are intended to be used as a single illustration. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, many modifications and changes can be made to the present invention, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the foregoing description. Such modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. It should be understood that the present technology is not limited to specific methods, reagents, compounds or compositions, which can certainly vary. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific aspects, and are not intended to be limited. Therefore, this specification is intended to be considered as exemplary only, and the breadth, scope and spirit of the present technology are indicated only by the appended claims, the definitions therein and any equivalents thereof.

[0267] The aspects described illustratively herein can be appropriately practiced in the absence of any one or more elements, one or more restrictions not specifically disclosed herein. Therefore, for example, the terms "comprise", "include", "contain", etc. should be interpreted broadly and without restriction. In addition, the terms and expressions adopted herein have been used as descriptive rather than restrictive terms, and are not intended to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described or parts thereof using such terms and expressions, but it should be recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claimed technology. In addition, the phrase "essentially consisting of..." will be understood to include those elements specifically enumerated and those additional elements that do not substantially affect the basic and novel features of the claimed technology. The phrase "consisting of..." does not include any unspecified elements.

[0268] In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group. Each of the narrower species and subgeneric groupings falling within the generic disclosure also form part of the present invention. This includes the generic description of the invention with the proviso or negative limitation that any subject matter is removed from the genus, regardless of whether the removed material is specific or not.

Claims

1. An asphalt additive, comprising: Phospholipid materials; epoxidized renewable oil or fat, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; and A sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer comprising: a polymer distribution having an oligomer content of about 2 weight percent (wt %) to about 80 wt %; and a sulfur content in a range of about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %; and The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a polymerized oil obtained through sulfurization.

2. The asphalt additive of claim 1, wherein the asphalt additive comprises the phospholipid material and the epoxidized renewable oil or fat in a weight ratio of about 5:1 to about 1:5, preferably about 3:1 to about 1:3, more preferably about 2:1 to about 1:2, and most preferably about 1:

1.

3. The asphalt additive according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the asphalt additive comprises about 10.0 wt. % to about 80.0 wt. %, preferably about 10.0 wt. % to about 60.0 wt. % of the phospholipid material based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

4. The asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the phospholipid material comprises a lecithin material.

5. The asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lecithin material comprises soybean lecithin, rapeseed lecithin, sunflower seed lecithin, egg yolk lecithin, peanut lecithin, corn lecithin, bovine brain lecithin, jojoba lecithin or a mixture thereof.

6. The asphalt additive of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the additive comprises from about 10.0 wt. % to about 80.0 wt. % of the epoxidized renewable oil or fat, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

7. The asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat has an ethylene oxide content of about 4.0% to about 12.0%, preferably about 6.0% to about 10.0%, most preferably about 8.0% to about 10.0%.

8. The asphalt additive of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the epoxidized renewable oil or fat comprises epoxidized soybean oil, epoxidized canola oil, epoxidized linseed oil, epoxidized soy methyl ester, epoxidized linseed methyl ester, epoxidized tall oil fatty acid (TOFA), epoxidized acetylated triacylglycerols, epoxidized acetylated diacylglycerols, epoxidized acetylated monoacylglycerols, epoxidized jojoba oil, epoxidized 2-ethylhexyl soyate, epoxidized TOFA 2-ethylhexyl ester, epoxidized isoamyl soyate, epoxidized isoamyl palm stearate, epoxidized isoamyl TOFA, epoxidized isoamyl soyate, epoxidized soy methyl acetate estolactone, or mixtures thereof.

9. The asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the asphalt additive comprises up to about 35 wt. % of the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer, preferably about 1 wt. % to about 35 wt. %, most preferably about 16 wt. % to about 22 wt. %, based on the total weight of the asphalt additive.

10. The asphalt additive according to any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer further has a PDI of about 1.0 to about 5.0, preferably about 1.30 to about 2.

20.

11. The asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the asphalt additive comprises the phospholipid material, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat and the sulphurized renewable oil stabilizer in a weight ratio of 45:45:1 to 1:1:1, preferably 10:10:2 to 2:2:

1.

12. The asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the asphalt additive is a warm mix asphalt additive or a hot mix additive.

13. The asphalt additive of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the asphalt additive enhances one or more performance properties in asphalt applications, the one or more performance properties comprising adhesion, compaction, durability, stripping resistance, or a combination thereof.

14. The asphalt additive of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the asphalt additive exhibits improved stability compared to an asphalt additive lacking one or more of the phospholipid material, the epoxidized renewable fat or oil, or the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer.

15. Use of the asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 14 to reduce or prevent stripping in asphalt applications, as a compaction aid in asphalt applications, to increase viscosity in asphalt applications, as a warm mix asphalt additive in asphalt applications or as a hot mix asphalt additive in asphalt applications.

16. An asphalt binder, comprising: Asphalt; and According to any one of claims 1 to 14, the amount of the asphalt additive is preferably about 0.1 wt% to about 3.0 wt%, most preferably about 0.3 wt% to about 0.7 wt%, based on the total weight of the asphalt binder.

17. The asphalt binder of claim 16, wherein the asphalt binder comprises from about 97.0 wt% to about 99.9 wt% asphalt, based on the total weight of the asphalt binder.

18. An asphalt concrete, comprising: From about 0.25 wt. % to about 8.0 wt. % of an asphalt binder, based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete, the asphalt binder comprising: Asphalt; and The asphalt additive according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and About 92.0 wt % to about 99.75 wt % of mineral aggregate, based on the total weight of the asphalt concrete.

19. A method for preparing a stable asphalt additive blend, the method include: mixing a phospholipid material, an epoxidized renewable oil or fat, and a sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer to obtain the asphalt additive blend, the epoxidized renewable oil or fat having an ethylene oxide content of about 1.0% to about 15.0%; Wherein the sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer comprises: a polymer distribution having an oligomer content of about 2 weight percent (wt %) to about 80 wt %; Optionally, a polydispersity index (PDI), the polydispersity index ranging from about 1.0 to about 5.0; and a sulfur content ranging from about 0.001 wt % to about 8 wt %; The sulfurized renewable oil stabilizer is a polymerized oil obtained through sulfurization.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the mixing comprises blending at a shear rate of about 600 rpm to about 1500 rpm; or a shear rate of greater than 1500 rpm, preferably greater than 1500 rpm to about 3500 rpm, most preferably about 3000 rpm to about 3500 rpm.

21. A method for preparing an asphalt binder, the method include: The bitumen is combined with a bitumen additive according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

22. A method for reducing or preventing peeling, increasing viscosity, assisting compaction and / or improving durability of asphalt concrete, the method include: combining the bitumen additive according to any one of claims 1 to 14 with bitumen to obtain a bitumen binder, and combining the asphalt binder with a mineral aggregate to obtain asphalt concrete; wherein the asphalt binder comprises from about 0.25 wt % to about 8.0 wt % of the asphalt concrete.

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