Lehigh Technologies, a leading specialty materials company that produces micronized rubber powders (MRP), announced that it has partnered with Rheopave Technologies LLC, to provide the asphalt industry with a superior product offering that reduces the cost, boosts the performance and improves the sustainability of modified asphalt and bitumen systems. This new product line includes Lehigh’s MicroDyne MRPs and Rheopave’s novel suspension additives.
Under the terms of the partnership, Lehigh will provide sales, supply chain and distribution support through its existing network, while Rheopave will provide technical support through its affiliated laboratory, AWI.
“To date, the asphalt industry has invested enormous time and energy in recycled tire rubber applications with limited success,” says Pat Keating, co-owner of Rheopave Technologies. “In combination with Lehigh’s MRPs, the Rheopave technology presents a unique opportunity to economically formulate recycled tire rubber into road and roofing applications, creating value and environmental benefit.”
Rheopave’s additive technology was developed by Pat Keating and Prem Naidoo, co-owners of the company. This technology is a patented composite developed specifically to enhance the performance of rubber powders in rubber-modified asphalt (RMA) systems. Extensive testing by independent laboratories has demonstrated that combining Rheopave technology with MicroDyne MRP produces a formulation with superior performance attributes for RMA applications, including better DSR and MCSR properties as well as improved RMA storage stability.
“Unlike typical hybrid modified asphalt systems, in which the ground tire rubber (GTR) and polymer exist as discrete phases, the Rheopave molecule interacts with the GTR particle to provide a continuous network,” said Naidoo. “Furthermore, the proprietary composition of the Rheopave additives enables easy dispersion into asphalt.”
Lehigh will offer Rheopave products to the asphalt and modified bitumen industries alongside its industry-leading MRP products, including its standard GTR MicroDyne MD-400 and its ultrafine MRP MicroDyne MD-105. These products, as well as the Rheopave-modified binders, have been approved for use in hot mix asphalt paving applications by various state agencies, including the Florida Department of Transportation.
“Combining our companies’ innovative products offers the asphalt community a complete product solution for gaining a high performance, cost efficient, and environmentally sustainable substitute for the standard polymers used to modify asphalt,” says Ryan Alleman, sales director for Lehigh Technologies. “Outstanding MSCR test performance and excellent RMA storage stability make this product line an important solution for the asphalt industry.”
