 Products

Numerous emulsion products are used for spray applied sealer and rejuvenation applications.  The table below was compiled at the beginning of the study in 2001, and some of the products listed are no longer available.  Other products have been and are being developed.  Resources include State lists of approved materials and the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturer's Association (www.aema.org)

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Several products were used on the various projects in this study.  The descriptions below are from the suppliers.  The study participants gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the suppliers to this project.

·         Sealers:

CSS-1h, CSS-1, CQS-1h and SS-1h

The State Departments of Transportation were asked to use their standard fog seal emulsions for a fog control.  These emulsions met state or AASHTO M-140 (anionic) and M-208 (cationic) specifications.

CRS-2Pd

Mn/DOT chose CSS-1h emulsion for the state control fog seal for the 2002 application on the Maple Island project. Since that time, Mn/DOT has actively expanded their fog sealing program and feel that a diluted rapid-setting, polymer modified emulsion will give better results on fog sealing shoulders. Therefore, for the 2006 trials they chose a CRS-2Pd emulsion (d for “diluted”). The emulsion is diluted by the manufacturer with 3 parts of emulsion to 1 part water solution, for a specified 51% residue content. The emulsion was supplied by Flint Hills Resources, LP from their St. Paul, Minnesota plant.

LD-7

For the 2006 Minnesota projects, Blackledge Emulsions, Inc. of Gulfport, Mississippi supplied LD-7, a new product not previously used in this study. LD-7 is a specialized asphalt emulsion originally developed to be a fast-curing trackless tack coat. It has also been used to lock down aggregates on chip seals, but had never before been applied as a fog seal over a dense HMA surface. The hard residue delivers a long lasting seal which provides a black surface that is resistant to ultra-violet light degradation and improves aggregate retention. Depending upon the surface texture, LD-7 can also be used as a fog seal on hot mix asphalt surfaces. For this project, the emulsion was manufactured at 65.5% residue, then diluted four parts emulsion to one part water to give a final residue content of 52.7% and viscosity of 14 seconds Saybolt-Furol. Specifications call for an emulsion sieve of 0.04% maximum and a residue softening point of 152ºF minimum.

GSB Sealer Binders

Asphalt Systems, Inc. supplies Gilsonite-based emulsions and cutbacks for various fog seal applications.  Unfortunately, Asphalt Systems and their various licensees chose to participate to only one MN trial. GSB Sealer Binders have been the subject of other research projects, including an unpublished TN DOT field study and an unpublished FHWA laboratory study. Gilsonite-based emulsion GSB type B was used in 2002 on MN 251. While Asphalt Systems, Inc. made a conscious decision not to participate in the 2004 and 2006 study, they report their company continues to manufacture and supply the GSB-88 product to the pavement maintenance market. 

·         Rejuvenators:

Pass^®-QB

Western Emulsions’ quick-break emulsion system is designed specifically for fog seal applications.  The emulsion soap is designed to penetrate into small pores on the pavement surface, and the residue contains asphalt, rejuvenator oil, and polychloroprene latex polymer. For the Winslow, Arizona project, the emulsion was diluted 1:1 with water for an emulsion residue content was 37.5% and viscosity of 22 seconds Saybolt-Furol. The emulsion was applied at 170 degrees F. Pass QB was applied on all projects except Michigan.

Reclamite^® Asphalt Preservative Seal

Tricor Refining, LLC's Reclamite^® Asphalt Rejuvenating Agent is a cationic emulsion designed to penetrate the asphalt pavement surface and rejuvenate the top portion of the asphalt binder, fluxing with and densifying the binder.  The supplier reports that Reclamite increases penetration and viscosity numbers of the asphalt on the pavement.  The petroleum maltene base oil is produced by Tricor in Bakersfield, California. Minnesota projects were supplied by Pavement Technology Inc. The emulsion has a residue content of 62% before being diluted 60% product and 40% water.  The specifications call for a viscosity of 15-40 seconds Saybolt-Furol and a residue asphaltene content (ASTM D-2006-70) of 0.4 to 0.75%. Reclamite was applied on all test projects.

CRF^® Restorative Seal

CRF^® Restorative Seal is emulsion spray-applied by a distributor truck and sand spread over the surface.  The surface is then drag-broomed to force sand into the voids and cracks.

ERA-1 and ERA-25

Tricor Refining, LLC’s family of ERA rejuvenator products represent different blends of asphalt with the same rejuvenator base oil used for Reclamite. Emulsion Rejuvenating Agent emulsions were supplied to the 2002 Arizona projects by Copperstate Emulsions, Inc.

Lessons Learned:

The products used in this study differed greatly.  There were differences in the curing times, the effect on friction, the ability to soften the existing binder, tracking, dilution rates and application rates.  Because of those differences, supplier recommendations for the use of their products should be followed.  Product selection should be determined by the project goal (sealing or rejuvenating), and surface type (dense-graded, open-graded or chip seal). 

There is some concern about product temperature and dilution rate.  If the product is not diluted at the place of manufacture the dilution may not be accurate, the dilution water may have impurities and the temperature of the dilution water may compromise the temperature of the emulsion when it is applied.  Best practice calls for dilution with warm water.  Therefore, at least one agency strongly recommends that the contract call for dilution only at the place of manufacture of the emulsion.  This must be balanced, however, with the additional costs of transportation for the diluted emulsion.  If the circumstances allow for dilution with uncontaminated diluent at carefully controlled dilution rate, that should be considered.

Test results on the performance of the various products used can be found in the Project Library, and photos of their application can be found in the Photo Gallery.

Downloadable

Documents:

(Click to open)

Pre-Project Product List

Project Supplier Forms:

• Tricor - Reclamite

• Western Emulsions - Pass QB

• Blackledge - LD7

Full Project Report