Bitumen-Polymer Mixtures Using Hydrocarbon Waxes

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Solution Overview

Problem

High viscosity and degradation issues in bitumen-polymer mixtures due to high polymer content, leading to reduced movability and storage challenges, as well as limitations in polymer concentration and dilution ratios, which affect the quality and convenience of bituminous products.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating high molecular weight hydrocarbon waxes with high melting points into bitumen-polymer mixtures, allowing for stable storage and easy processability, and enabling higher polymer content with improved movability and dilution ratios, resulting in bitumens with high performance characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high polymer content is used to improve bitumen quality, then low-temperature flexibility and heat consistency are improved, but viscosity increases and movability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelow-temperature flexibility and heat consistencyVSAvoidmovability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a specific bituminous product with controlled composition (containing asphaltenes, resins, aromatic compounds, and saturated products) as an intermediary substance. This intermediary product acts as a mediator between the polymer and bitumen, enabling high polymer content (up to 30% by weight) while maintaining acceptable viscosity and movability characteristics through its specific chemical composition and properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If high polymer content is used to improve bitumen quality, then performance characteristics are improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to phase separation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperformance characteristicsVSAvoidstorage stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the bituminous system by using a specifically composed bituminous product containing controlled amounts of asphaltenes (5-20% by weight), resins (5-20% by weight), aromatic compounds (30-70% by weight), and saturated products (10-40% by weight). These parameter changes enable the system to accommodate high polymer content (up to 30% by weight) while preventing phase separation and maintaining storage stability through optimized chemical interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If high polymer content is used to improve bitumen quality, then modified bitumen performance is improved, but processability deteriorates due to high viscosity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemodified bitumen performanceVSAvoidprocessability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The specifically composed bituminous product serves as an intermediary that facilitates the mixing and processing of high polymer content modifications. Its controlled composition with specific ratios of asphaltenes, resins, aromatic compounds, and saturated products reduces the overall viscosity of the mixture, improving processability while enabling the achievement of high performance characteristics through high polymer content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The use of high molecular weight hydrocarbon waxes stabilizes bitumen-polymer mixtures during storage, reduces viscosity, and allows for increased polymer content, enhancing the convenience and performance of bituminous products, particularly in peripheral plants, while maintaining stability and performance after dilution.

Implementation Method 1

The use of high molecular weight hydrocarbon waxes stabilizes bitumen-polymer mixtures during storage, reduces viscosity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectViscosity reduction:

Implementation Method 2

The use of high molecular weight hydrocarbon waxes stabilizes bitumen-polymer mixtures during storage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStabilization:

Implementation Method 3

allowing for increased polymer content with improved movability and dilution ratios, resulting in bitumens with high performance characteristics

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConcentration stabilization:

Data Source

PatentEP2350200B1Bituminous mixtures with a high polymer content

Publication Date: 2017.06.28 ENI SPA

AI summary

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of mixtures containing bitumen and thermoplastic polymer at a high concentration, stable during storage, with particular characteristics of easy processability and movability which, once diluted, allow modified bitumens to be obtained with high performance characteristics. In particular, the process allows mixtures containing bitumen, thermoplastic polymer and wax, to be prepared, wherein the polymer is in a quantity varying from 5 to 30% by weight with respect to the weight of the mixture consisting of bitumen and polymer, and the wax is in a quantity varying from 4.7 to 16.7% by weight with respect to the weight of the total mixture, and comprises reacting a concentrated mixture (A), stable during storage, containing bitumen and from 5 to 30% by weight of thermoplastic polymer, with a hydrocarbon wax containing at least 40 carbon atoms and having a melting point of at least 700C, in a weight ratio between the mixture (A) and wax ranging from 100:5 to 100:20, at a temperature ranging from 160 to 2000C and for a time ranging from 15 minutes to 7 hours, preferably from 15 to 120 minutes. An object of the invention also relates to new mixtures containing bitumen and thermoplastic polymer at a high concentration and mixtures obtainable from these by dilution.