Advantages of Using High Quality Anti Stripping Agent for Asphalt

One of the most common problems faced by highway departments is stripping. Stripping usually occurs when there is a loss of adhesion between the aggregate and the asphalt binder. Sometimes it may also be due to a cohesion within the asphalt binder itself. These problems ensue due to a lot of factors and one of them is exposure to natural elements such as heat, rain and snow. It also includes wear and tear due to traffic and aging.

Although a non-stripping asphalt has not been produced, there are measures that can be applied to prolong the lifespan of our highways. Today, there are a wide variety of anti-stripping agents which can be used to make the asphalt more durable. Anti-strip additives or ASAs come in a variety of compositions which greatly varies from each other. Some ASAs come in liquid form while others come in a powder form just like cement.

There are a lot of reasons why a pavement or an asphalt gets stripped. Some of these are weak aggregate, too much void content or air bubbles, mixing temperature, storage, poor drainage, excessive dust coating and exposure to the elements. So far, the solution to this is to anti-stripping agents.

Anti-stripping agents help keep the bond between the aggregate and the binder. In short it keeps the asphalt intact. Studies had shown that roadways threated with anti-strip compounds tend to last longer and be more resilient to the regular wear and tear as compared to pavements that were not treated with ASAs. They also exhibited greater resistance to moisture which is very significant as moisture is the prime suspect for causing road damage.

The most commonly used anti-stripping agent is the lime. Not only is it good at preventing moisture from sipping in but it is also readily available. On the other hand, the use of lime poses a few minor problems. Adding lime to the cement or asphalt mixture can be done by sprinkling the lime on top of the newly constructed pavement or by adding the powdered lime into the slurry while it is being mixed.

Mixing lime with the slurry can cause excessive loss of lime even before the binder can be added while sprinkling them on the aggregate will not ensure an even coat. That is why liquid anti-strip agents are becoming more and more popular as there are liquid ASAs which comes in par with lime when it comes to toughening up a pavement.

About the Company:

Novamen Inc. is a privately held company and was started in 2010. With over 30 years of combined knowledge and experience in these markets, the founders are building the company with the intention of offering products and services to industrial clients that go beyond those of traditional chemical companies. Operating in Alberta, Novamen Inc. focus is primarily to industrial, oil, natural gas and mining industries throughout Canada. Visit their website to learn more about the chemical solutions you need more accessible, efficient, and cost effective than it has ever been.

Novamen Inc. is a privately held company and was started in 2010. With over 30 years of combined knowledge and experience in these markets. Visit http://novamen.ca/