RAETEX Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB) binders provide improved rheological properties across the in-service temperature range when compared to neat binders. They represent the highest level of quality materials matched with the most advanced research and development on polymer modification technologies, and sustainable polymer technologies used today. Pavements using PMB demonstrate a significant increase in performance, durability, and lifetime due to the presence of performance polymers and other additives that are dispersed throughout the bitumen using highly specialized processes that fully homogenize the binder.

In addition to performance benefits, the functional benefits of using RAETEX PMB in asphalt can include:

• Sustainable and environmentally-friendly through energy savings and a reduction in VOCs, CO₂, SO₂, and NO_x emissions during asphalt production and construction;
• Improved performance over time resulting in life cycle cost benefits;
• Enhanced moisture resistance and aggregate packing during compaction through improved adhesion.

RAETEX R&D facilities are ideally complimented by technical expertise from the US and Europe in order to consistently and continually test, control and implement the latest technologies available. This allows RAETEX to produce PMB binders that are in compliance with the latest binder specifications and ensure the highest end-performance properties of the final pavement.

RAETEX Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen (CRMB) binders introduce an innovative polymer-based bitumen modification process using recycled tire rubber with equal to or better performance, and at a relatively lower cost, than other modified binders in use today.

While other modified binders use synthetic (virgin) polymers, CRMB reclaims the existing polymer, styrene-butadiene-rubber (SBR) and Natural Rubber latex from waste tire rubber and disperses them in their original state into the bitumen, thereby providing the direct benefits to the finished asphalt mix.

The temperatures used in this process are significantly lower than those used in conventional asphalt-rubber processes. This prevents the destruction of polymers from high temperature exposure, and results in a homogenous mixture and quality-controlled environment that is difficult to obtain in other asphalt-rubber and rubberized asphalt methods/processes being used elsewhere.

Functional benefits of using recycled tire rubber in asphalt mixes can include:

• Sustainable and environmentally-friendly through the reduction of post-consumer waste materials that are harmful to dispose of and dangerous to store;
• Improved pavement safety­: increases skid resistance due to rubber on rubber traction and decreases spray in wet conditions;
• Noise reduction of pavement by 2-4 dBa;
• Protection against Urban Heat Island effect.

Crumb Rubber (CR) is obtained from the shredding, grinding or cryogenic processing of waste rubber from automobile tires. Tire rubber is a blend of polymers including synthetic rubber and natural rubber, carbon black, anti-oxidants, fillers, and extender type oils that are soluble in paving grade bitumen.

The handling and shredding process of waste tires is carefully planned and monitored to produce a clean and highly consistent rubber material. During the process, the tire’s reinforcing wire and fiber is removed; the steel is removed by magnets and the fiber is removed by aspiration. The rubber particles are then sieved and separated into different size fractions. The resulting rubber particles are consistently sized into automated bagging systems that help ensure proper bag weights and eliminate cross contamination.

Please contact us to find out more about our about our PMB, CRMB and hybrid technologies.