Emulsion Additives

Asphalt emulsion additives are added to address specific issues associated with emulsion blends and aid in road pavement applications and maintenance.

We use emulsion additives to chemically stabilize our emulsions during storage, transport and application, but to break when wanted on the aggregate to give greater bond strength. Our researchers and technicians are constantly improving our formulations to give better controlled curing, better emulsion adhesion to aggregates, and better durability of maintenance treatments and cold mixes.

Asphalt emulsion additives are a mixture of water, asphalt and an emulsifier (a surface-acting agent) that is added in the water prior to adding asphalt. The emulsion production consists of two primary steps:

1. 1. Water is mixed with appropriate emulsifying agent and other chemical additives. The type of emulsifier to be used depends upon the ionic nature of the mix.
   2. Asphalt is added into the water-emulsifier mix. Chemical additives are used to provide: greater bond strength between the asphalt surfaces; less tracking of the emulsion; reduced clogging of nozzles, resulting in more uniform coverage; and improved emulsion stability—all critical in the correct application and performance of the emulsion mix.

Extremely versatile, emulsion additives can be used for:

• • • Preventive and corrective maintenance
    • Stabilizing and reclaiming base courses
    • Constructing structural layers within a pavement
    • Surface treatments, such as chip seal emulsions and fog seals
    • Recycling old, deteriorated pavements