# US 5,702,199 A · Plastic asphalt paving material and method of making same

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 5,702,199 A
- Document ID: US5702199A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/555,527
- Filed: 1995-11-09
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1995-11-09
- Assignees: Plasphalt Project Ltd. Co.
- Inventors: Gary M. Fishback; Dennis M. Egan; Hilary Stelmar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5702199A

## CPC

- E01C 19/1072: {the solid ingredients}
- C08L 95/00: Compositions of bituminous materials, e.g. asphalt, tar, pitch
- E01C 7/265: {with rubber or synthetic resin, e.g. with rubber aggregate, with synthetic resin binder (for thin overlays or surface dressings E01C7/35)}
- C08L 2555/24: Asphalt produced between 100°C and 140°C, e.g. warm mix asphalt
- C08L 2555/34: Recycled or waste materials, e.g. reclaimed bitumen, asphalt, roads or pathways, recycled roof coverings or shingles, recycled aggregate, recycled tires, crumb rubber, glass or cullet, fly or fuel ash, or slag
- C08L 2555/86: Polymers containing aliphatic hydrocarbons only, e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene or ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers
- E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)

## Abstract

An asphaltic concrete or paving material includes from 5 to 20 percent or more of granular recycled plastic, which supplements or replaces the rock aggregate component of the mixture. The material produces a structurally superior paving material and longer lived roadbed. The paving material includes any and all residual classes of recyclable plastic, including thermosetting plastics and other plastics having little to no current widespread utility. The material produces roadbeds of higher strength with less total asphalt thickness and having greater water impermeability, and is most useful for all layers below the surface layer. The recyclable plastic component of the material is preferably a mixture of all recyclable classes 3 through 7, or of those materials from such classes from which potentially more valuable recyclable materials have been selectively removed. The paving product is preferably formed by a process of shredding or mechanically granulating used and industrial waste plastic to a no. 4 to 1/2 inch sieve size, and preferably to 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch granules. The granules are then treated with a reducing flame, with a plasma flame process, to activate the surface of the granules and increase the surface tension without raising the temperature of the plastic. The activated treated granules are then added to the aggregate and mixed with the asphalt to produce the paving material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A roadway comprising:
a base gravel layer;
an asphaltic layer overlying the base layer and including:
an asphalt binder, and
an aggregate component, including rock aggregate and at least five percent by volume of particles of a plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces, a major portion of the plastic aggregate being of a plastic material having a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and
the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of:
mechanically reducing plastic material to granules, most of which are at least 1/8 inch in size; and
treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The roadway of claim 1 wherein:
the mechanically reducing step reduces the plastic material to granules, most of which are less than 3/8 inch in size.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The roadway of claim 1 wherein:
the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a reducing flame.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The roadway of claim 1 wherein:
the rock aggregate is between seventy and ninety-five percent by volume of the aggregate component and at least half of which is natural rock ranging in size from no. 40 sieve to no. 3/4 inch sieve.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The roadway of claim 1 wherein:
the composition of the plastic material is at least thirty percent recycled plastic from the group consisting of thermoset plastics, PVC, and high density polypropylene and polystyrene.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The roadway of claim 1 wherein:
the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a plasma.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The roadway of claim 1 wherein:
the plastic material includes predominantly residual recycled plastic material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The roadway of claim 1 wherein:
the plastic material includes a composition of a plurality of different plastic materials corresponding to at least two different ones of PCCS classes 3 through 7.

### Claim 9

A roadway comprising:
a base layer comprised substantially of gravel; and
an asphaltic layer overlying the base layer and formed of an asphalt binder and aggregate;
the aggregate including at least five percent by volume of particles of plastic aggregate, the particles of plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces at which the particles of plastic aggregate bond to the asphalt binder, the particles of plastic aggregate having a substantial portion thereof which is of a plastic material of a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and
the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of:
mechanically reducing the size of at least portions of plastic material to granules thereof of a given size; and
treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of a major portion of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules so as to enhance the bonding thereof to the asphaltic binder.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:.
most of the particles of plastic are of a size at least 1/8 inch large.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The roadway or claim 9 wherein:
most of the particles of plastic are of a size less than 3/8 inch large.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:
the particles of plastic are substantially all from the group consisting of plastic material corresponding to PCCS classes 3 through 7.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 further comprising:
a surface layer overlying the asphaltic layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:
the plastic material includes at least thirty percent recycled plastic from the group consisting of thermoset plastics, PVC, and high density polypropylene and polystyrene.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:
the rock aggregate is between seventy and ninety-five percent by volume of the aggregate component and at least half of which is natural rock ranging in size from no. 40 sieve to no. 3/4 inch sieve.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:
the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a plasma.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:
the plastic material includes predominantly residual recycled plastic material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:
the plastic material includes a composition of a plurality of different plastic materials corresponding to at least two different ones of PCCS classes 3 through 7.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The roadway of claim 9 wherein:
the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a reducing flame.

### Claim 20

A roadway comprising at least one layer wherein:
at least one layer is comprised substantially of gravel;
at least one layer includes an asphalt binder and an aggregate component of at least five percent by volume of particles of a plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces, a major portion of the plastic aggregate being of a plastic material having a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and,
the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of:
mechanically educing the size of at least portions of plastic material to granules thereof of a given size; and
treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of a major portion of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules so as to enhance the bonding thereof to the asphaltic binder.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 wherein:
most of the particles of plastic are of a size at least 1/8 inch large.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The roadway of claim 21 wherein:
most of the particles of plastic are of a size less than 3/8 inch large.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 wherein:
the particles of plastic are substantially all from the group consisting of plastic material corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 further comprising:
a surface layer overlying the asphaltic layer.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 wherein:
the plastic material includes at least thirty percent recycled plastic from the group consisting of thermoset plastics, PVC, and high density polypropylene and polystyrene.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 wherein:
the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a plasma.

### Claim 27 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 wherein:
the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a reducing flame.

### Claim 28 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 wherein:
the plastic material includes predominantly residual recycled plastic material.

### Claim 29 (depends on 20)

The roadway of claim 20 wherein:
the plastic material includes a composition of a plurality of different plastic materials corresponding to at least two different ones of PCCS classes 3 through 7.

### Claim 30 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein:
the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the particles with activating medium in the form of a ionized corona or plasma.