Invigorate Rejuvenator, a soybean-oil derived additive designed to increase the amount of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and shingles (RAS) used in paving projects, has released their 2020 pilot project results. Successful run of trial projects last year used recycled asphalt with Invigorate reached as high as 45% — well beyond the standard of 20 to 25% — while still meeting performance expectations. High RAP or RAS content is generally environmentally friendly, but increases in oil prices make the cost-savings affiliated with recycled asphalt significant as well.
Colorbiotics, a leader in all-natural colorants, coatings and equipment that applies them, officially launched Invigorate in October of last year, marking the company’s expansion into the asphalt industry. During late summer 2020, Colorbiotics partnered with producers and contractors to use Invigorate as a rejuvenator on highway, street and parking lot paving jobs. The projects stretched from the Midwest to the East Coast.
“Invigorate performed exactly as we had anticipated,” said Kent Rotert, Colorbiotics vice president. “Producers and contractors were extremely happy because it saves costs and is environmentally friendly, while exceeding expectations in pavement flexibility and durability.”
How it Works
Invigorate Rejuvenator triggers chemical reactions inside RAP, RAS and stiff binders to break down asphaltene aggregation and reverse the effects of oxidation in the final mix. While other rejuvenators superficially change the viscosity of the binder, Invigorate repairs the chemical damage in lower-quality binders to address the aged elements within recycled asphalt. It was developed in conjunction with scientists at Iowa State University, who also monitored the trials.
“The science behind this product has the potential to be industry-changing,” Rotert said. “Every customer we’ve met with believes Invigorate can help set new industry standards not just in asphalt recycling, but in asphalt pavement longevity as well.”
While percentage of RAP was important, pavement density was also critical in the trials. Multiple density tests for Invigorate mix samples and projects showed density readings as high as 94.4%, indicating that even with increased RAP content (as much as 45%), specified density was achieved with compaction.
Pavement durability and flexibility were gauged using the I-FIT crack test, IDEAL cracking test and DCT crack test. In some trials, asphalt pavement with Invigorate proved to be twice as durable (or half as likely to crack) than non-Invigorate pavement samples with far less RAP.
“Extreme weather and temperatures can be damaging to asphalt over time, which is why it was important for us to test in different seasons and geographic locations,” Rotert said. “We’ve been pleased that our compaction and stability results were consistent across all jobs, even with more RAP.”
For pilot project case studies and full reviews of Invigorate Rejuvenator, visit www.invigorateasphalt.com.
