For the Use of Our Products
Engineered Additives asphalt and polymer modifiers are compatible with certain chemical families which are common to all asphalt. These new compounds are stable under a wide range of temperature exposure and highly oxidative environments.
Select asphalts, due to their chemical composition, are far more compatible with conventional SBS polymers than other asphalt. Asphalt naturally varies in composition based on the different crude oils used. Adding process oils or chemical additives may marginally improve compatibility but more help is needed. A successful polymer or additive may act as a compatibilizer or a cross-linking agent to improve the durability characteristics of the composition.
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Engineered Additives’ knowledge of these chemistries allows us to develop methods to enhance the asphalt affinity for polymers through our ERM formulations or through other select additives provided through our partners and associates. Our additive mixtures can be targeted to specific asphalts and desired modification of those asphalts, providing functionalities such as a visco-elastic modifier, viscosity reducer, processing aid, antioxidant, and crack retarding agent. Our additives are intended to work in conjunction with conventional polymer modifiers such as SBS, APP, EVA, EPR, or Vestomer®, reducing the required polymer content in various roofing or road building applications. This saves the customer money as well as reducing mixing and blending costs for modified asphalt.
Our Products are projected to sell for substantially less than the conventional polymers currently used in these types of formulations, depending on formulation composition and use application. Our Products, including ERM ingredients and compositions are non-hazardous by DOT classification.
Engineered Additives asphalt and polymer modifiers are designed to be used in Superpave modified pavement formulations, asphalt shingles, modified bitumen roofing membranes, modified asphalt adhesives and sealants and modified asphalt coatings.
Paving Uses of Engineered Additives' Modifiers:
In paving applications, our products offer reduced lay-down temperatures, lower emissions and a more durable pavement. Savings are realized by (1) reduced material and mix cost, (2) reduced energy in processing the asphalt mix, (3) reduced emissions by the ability to process or apply at lower temperatures, (4) increased production rates, especially in oxidation processes, or (5) a combination of two or more of these values.
Added benefits include stronger and more durable pavements, based on using our materials in your asphalt mix, or the ability to incorporate our products without the capital investments of oxidation processes or high-shear mixing.
Use of GTR is common under several federal and state initiatives intended to reduce the enormous waste stream and inventory of discarded vehicle tires. Tires are collected under a number of state sponsored programs and sent to a recycler, where they are chopped or the tread is ground off, depending on the intended end use. The ground rubber is further processed to a consistent particle size range and added, often in conjunction with additional SBS, perhaps some process oil and/or hydrocarbon mineral, to the asphalt liquid, which is then applied to limestone aggregate in a hot mix pavement operation. In some states, GTR initiatives specify the maximum amount of GTR that may by added to the pavement mixture. Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) has determined that pavement modified with GTR in the proper formulation actually outlasts formulations based only on SBS or EVA modification. Several other states have also taken notice of the wear characteristics of a properly formulated GTR pavement mix.
Our work has shown that addition of our ERMs to these formulations will yield further improvements in Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) characteristics because of the improved compatibility and enhanced polymer matrix created, while at the same time allowing a reduction in the SBS or EVA used to meet the SHRP grading specifications. The resulting pavement is better, lasts longer and is less expensive to construct.
In select cases where a paving contractor may be seeking to lightly modify his hot mix for extended life driveways or parking lots, he has the option, by using ERMs, to make his modified hot mix at his plant site without SBS and avoiding the need for special milling equipment to incorporate SBS. All the contractor will need is simple mixing. A paving contractor, who lacks the specialized equipment or the business justification to make the needed investment, can now provide his customer with the improved longer life pavement through ERMs.
Through use of our select additives to reduce base asphalt viscosity, a PMA plant owner can substitute harder asphalt into his polymer formulation and still achieve his PG targets, while reducing asphalt costs and expanding availability of feedstock.
In PMA formulations, our new efficient cross-linkers reduce costs and reduce SBS content.
We offer more effective and lower cost alternates to known products such as Sunoco Hydrolene™ or ExxonMobil Polybilt 101™.
Roofing Uses of Engineered Additives' Modifiers:
Our unique additive compounds and ERM offer roofing manufacturers lower emissions, reduced cycle times, increased line speed and lower energy costs. Our products allow use of PG Graded asphalt for BURA and potentially for shingles, versus the need to purchase expensive asphalt flux for oxidation.
In many cases, our customers can incorporate our products without the capital investments of oxidation processes or high-shear mixing.
Most roofing manufacturers have previously evaluated GTR in several of their product formulations. Provided that the GTR was consistent in its physical characteristics, it was considered only as an extender or filler, with minimal expectation (on the part of the roofing manufacturer) that it might replace some SBS without loss of critical properties of the final product. Each of these uses will be enhanced by chemical modification of the GTR to improve its compatibility with the select asphalts, hence the evolution of ERM.
Modified Bitumen Membranes are typically produced from partially oxidized asphalt or AC-5 grade asphalt which is then heavily modified with a polymer such as SBS, APP or EPR to provide elongation and recovery with a building's normal movement from expansion and contraction. Select ERMs, added at the appropriate percentage will improve polymer affinity of the base asphalt and allow the reduction in polymer required, reducing the costs of these products with little or no change in performance.
Self-adhering Asphalt Roof Membranes are unique modified bitumen products, largely based on SBS formulations with a softer adhesive formulation to provide the tacky contact surface for secure application to roof decks. Because of the critical need for a consistent adhesive surface, the correct asphalt and polymer mixture becomes more critical. Manufacturers of these products are already experiencing asphalt quality declines and are forced to re-evaluate their formulations on a more frequent basis. ERMs or some of our other modifiers may offer the pathway to a more consistent sticky compound by delivering the appropriate chemistry into the base asphalt. ERMs may also be effective and lower cost alternatives for some or all of the SBS in select end uses of these membranes.
Built-up Roofing Asphalt (BURA) is typically made from asphalt which has been air-blown (oxidized) to ASTM softness and penetration criteria. A portion of BURA is modified by SBS or SEBS to provide cold weather flexibility for these hot mop roofing practices in northern climates. Use of ERMs could provide a significant reduction in required SBS in these formulations.
Roofing Adhesives, similar to crack sealers in paving, are typically made from low-pen (hard) asphalt and modified with SBR or SBS to provide cold weather flexibility to relieve stress and withstand high wind velocity. ERM may not entirely replace the traditional elastomer (SBS) but should allow a significant reduction in its use as a cost reduction opportunity.
Modified Shingles, similar to BURA, are typically made from asphalt which has been air-blown (oxidized) to ASTM softness and penetration criteria, and modified with SBS or SEBS to provide blow-off resistance to high velocity winds and improve cold weather flexibility. The market segment is relatively small today but many roofing manufacturers have developed a version of this product. As in Adhesives, ERMs may be an excellent replacement for some of the traditional elastomer used in these products. | 
