Improved asphalt products and materials and methods of producing them

An asphalt product comprising:

• an asphalt and
• a compound of formula (I)
• wherein:
• each A is selected independently at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of
• and
• wherein at least one A is
• each
• represents the point of attachment to a —CH2— group;
• n is 1;
• R is methyl, mixed with the asphalt.

A method of making an asphalt material comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an improved asphalt product comprising:
• an asphalt and
• a compound of formula (I)
• wherein:
• each A is selected independently at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of
• and
• wherein at least one A is
• each
• represents the point of attachment to a —CH2— group;
• n is 1;
• R is methyl;
• (b) mixing the improved asphalt product with a mineral aggregate at a temperature of 150° C. or lower, to coat the mineral aggregate and produce a heated paving material which, at a warm mix temperature, has a compaction production temperature at least 15-50° C. lower than that produced when the improved asphalt material is prepared in the absence of the compound of formula (I);
• (c) applying the heated paving material to a surface to be paved to form an applied paving material, and
• (d) compacting the applied paving material, to a void fraction of less than 8%, at a compacting temperature of 140° C. or lower to form a paved surface.

A method of producing an improved polymer modified asphalt comprising:

• providing a polymer modified asphalt;
• providing a compound of formula (IIa) or formula (IIb)
• and
• mixing the polymer modified asphalt with the compound of formula (IIa) or formula (IIb) under conditions effective to produce an improved polymer modified asphalt.