In-situ stabilized compositions
AssigneeThe University of Toronto Innovations Foundation
InventorsSimon Hesp, Zhizhong Liang, Raymond T. Woodhams
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Abstract
Insoluble particulate materials, which may be in solid or liquid form, are dispersed in a continuous non-aqueous phase and the dispersion rendered stable and resistant to phase separation by an in-situ stabilization procedure involving the formation of chemical bonds among the stabilizer components and to dispersed phases to form a network surrounding the particles which is compatible with the continuous phase. The invention has particular application for the formation of stabilized polyolefin-modified bitumen compositions for paving and other applications.
Claims33
A stable bituminous composition, comprising:
- a continuous bituminous phase,
- a dispersed particulate phase of olefinic polymer insoluble in said bituminous phase,
- a steric stabilizer in the form of an envelope surrounding and anchored to each particle in said particulate phase and comprising a cross-linked structure compatible with said bituminous phase to maintain dispersed particles of said olefinic polymer spaced from each other in said bituminous phase, so as to inhibit separation of said particulate phase from said bituminous phase by progressive coalescence of dispersed particles.
A composition for forming a stable dispersion of particulate olefinic polymer in a continuous bituminous phase, comprising
- a pro-steric stabilizer dissolved in a bituminous-compatible component,
- said pro-steric stabilizer comprising a bitumen-compatible stabilizer segment bonded to an olefinic polymer-compatible stabilizer segment different from the bitumen-compatible stabilizer segment.
A method of forming a stable bituminous composition, which comprises:
- dispersing an olefinic polymer in a continuous bituminous phase in which said olefinic polymer is insoluble at an elevated temperature above the fusion temperature of the olefinic polymer to form a dispersion containing small particles of said olefinic polymer in the presence of steric stabilizer-forming components comprising a first individual component for anchoring to said olefinic polymer particles and a second individual component different from said first individual component soluble in said bituminous phase, and
- effecting chemical bonding between said steric stabilizer forming components and bonding to said olefinic polymer particles to form a steric stabilizer in the form of an envelope surrounding and anchored to each olefinic polymer particle and comprising a cross-linked structure compatible with the bituminous phase to maintain said olefinic polymer particles spaced apart from each other in said bituminous phase.
A method of forming a bituminous composition, which comprises:
- dissolving a functionalized diene in bitumen,
- dispersing a functionalized olefinic polymer in said bitumen,
- reacting said functionalized olefinic polymer and said functionalized diene so as to bind one end of said olefinic polymer to said diene by interaction of the functional groups, and
- dispersing an olefinic polymer in said bitumen to form a stable bituminous composition in which the functionalized olefinic polymer is anchored to the olefinic polymer particles dispersed in the bitumen to maintain the dispersed olefinic polymer particles spaced from each other in the bitumen, so as to inhibit separation of the olefinic polymer particles from the bitumen by progressive coalescence of dispersed olefinic polymer particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.