This case study describes the impact of Asphaltan® Montan waxes supplied by Romonta on the properties of bituminous binders
Waxes
Waxes have become common additives for asphalt mixtures. Their main interest lies in their ability to make mixtures more workable at laying temperature while improving the rutting resistance, making them an important class of warm mix additives (see RoadMat Note 6 on warm mixes). The typical modification rate is 0.5 - 3 % wax based on the binder.
Several products are available on the market and not so many are produced in Europe. This is the case of Romonta’s Asphaltan® product range which can be used for different applications. On the one hand, they are warm-mix additives for asphalt mixtures or mastic asphalt. On the other hand, they can be used to manufacture high modulus or rut-resistant mixtures.
Asphaltan® products are waxy crystalline products with an optimized melting range so that the products can dissolve in the asphalt binder, acting then as a plasticizer of the binder, allowing to decrease its viscosity (see Figure 1 below). Below their dissolution point, they crystallize acting then as a reinforcement.
Figure 1: The principle of wax modification of asphalt binders: below its dissolution point, the wax increases the viscosity of the binder. On the contrary, it lowers its viscosity above thus contributing to an enhanced workability at a given temperature. Reproduced from http://zaumanis.com with permission
RoadMat, "Use of Asphaltan® product range to improve asphalt binders", RoadMat Case Study 3, 2023, published Jan 05, 2023
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