Clear Bitumen Binder for Colored Road Coatings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional bituminous binders are difficult to color due to their black color, which limits their application in road and industrial uses where colored coatings are needed for safety, visibility, and aesthetic purposes, and they lack desirable physical-mechanical properties such as low viscosity and resistance to thermal cracking.

Innovation Solution

A clear binder composed of a plasticizer with a high content of paraffinic compounds, a block copolymer based on conjugated diene and monovinyl aromatic units, and a hydrocarbon resin, which can be easily colored and provides improved physico-mechanical properties like low viscosity, high softening point, and resistance to rutting and thermal cracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If conventional bituminous binders are used, then binding strength is provided, but the black color makes them difficult to color and reduces visibility

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidcolorability

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes asphaltenes from the bituminous binder through deasphalting processes, eliminating the black color that prevents effective coloring while retaining the essential binding properties of the bitumen for road applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite material by combining deasphaltered bitumen with specific polymers (SBS, SIS, or SEBS block copolymers) to produce a clear binder that maintains binding strength while achieving colorability and improved physical-mechanical properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If clear synthetic binders are used to enable coloring, then colorability is improved, but viscosity and brittleness must be carefully controlled

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecolorabilityVSAvoidresistance to thermal cracking

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical and physical parameters of the binder by controlling the plasticity index (PI) to be greater than 20 and the Fraass brittleness point to be less than -10°C, while maintaining a softening point greater than 45°C, achieving both colorability and resistance to thermal cracking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite materials combining deasphaltered bitumen with specific ratios of block copolymers (SBS, SIS, or SEBS) to achieve the desired balance between viscosity, brittleness, and thermal resistance properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If plasticity index is increased to reduce brittleness, then resistance to thermal cracking is improved, but softening point may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to thermal crackingVSAvoidsoftening point

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the parameter range by specifying plasticity index greater than 20 and Fraass brittleness point less than -10°C, while maintaining softening point greater than 45°C through controlled composition of deasphaltered bitumen and block copolymers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3283571B1Clear binder and applications thereof

Publication Date: 2020.06.03 TOTAL MARKETING SERVICES SA

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a clear binder and uses of same in coloured compositions in certain road and/or industrial applications.