Process for manufacturing asphalt plastisols

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN ASPHALT PLASTISOL, THE STEPS COMPRISING FORMING A FLUID BODY OF AN ASPHALT, SAID ASPHALT COMPRISING MORE THAN 5% BY WEIGHT OF ASPHALTENES BY DISSOLVING ONE VOLUME OF THE RESIDUE IN 0.5-2 VOUMES OF AN AROMATIC SOLVENT, SAID SOLVENT PREDOMINATING IN AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS HAVING LESS THAN 10 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, INTRODUCING ONE VOLUME OF THE ASPHALT INTO 3-50 VOLUMES OF AN ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON MEDIUM, SAID MEDIUM COMPRISING PREDOMINANTLY STRAIGHT CHAIN PARAFFIN HYDROCARNONS HAVING FROM SIX TO TWELVE CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE AND LESS THAN 25% BY WEIGHT OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS WHEREBY ASPHALTENE PARTICLES HAVING A SIZE DISTIBUTION BETWEEN ABOUT 1 MICRON AND ABOUT 200 MICRONS PRECIPITATE AND MALTENES DISSOLVE IN THE ALIPHATIC HYDOCARBON MEDIUM SEPARATING THE PRECIPITATED ASPHALTENES FROM DISSOLVED MALTENES, AND SUSPENDING THE ASPHALTENES IN A PETROLEUM FRACTION HAVING AVISCOSITY BETWEEN ABOUT 100 SUS AT 100*F. AND ABOUT 300 SUS AT 210*F. AND A AROMATIC CONTENT BETWEEN ABOUT 15% AND ABOUT 60%, WHEREBY A STABLE PLASTISOL COMPOSITION CONTAINING LESS THAN ABOUT 40% BY WEIGHT OF ASPHALTENES IS FORMED.