Asphaltic composition

Claim 1

An asphaltic composition having improved tensile properties that is produced by the method comprising: (a) contacting asphalt with from about 0.25 to about 4 wt. % of a mineral acid to form an acid modified asphalt, (b) contacting said acid modified asphalt with an oxygen-containing gas to form an acid/oxygen modified asphalt, the temperature of the asphalt during said contacting in (a) and (b) being maintained between about 200° C. and about 300° C., (c) contacting said acid/oxygen modified asphalt with from about 5 to about 25 wt. % of a thermoplastic elastomer at a temperature between about 160° C. to form a polymer modified asphalt, and (d) contacting said polymer modified asphalt with from about 0.3 to about 15 wt. % of an unsaturated functional monomer selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, an unsaturated anhydride, an unsaturated ester, an unsaturated imide and mixtures thereof at a temperature above about 120° C. but not more than about 200° C.

Claim 19

A method for producing an asphaltic composition having improved tensile properties which comprises: (a) contacting asphalt with from about 0.25 to about 4 wt. % of a mineral acid to form an acid modified asphalt, (b) contacting said acid modified asphalt with an oxyqen-containing gas to form an acid/oxygen modified asphalt, the temperature of the asphalt during said contacting in (a) and (b) being maintained between about 200° and about 300° C., (c) contacting said acid/oxygen modified asphalt with from about 5 to about 25 wt. % of a thermoplastic elastomer at a temperature between about 160° and about 220° C. to form a polymer modified asphalt, and (d) contacting said polymer modified asphalt with from about 0.3 to about 15 wt. % of an unsaturated functional monomer selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, an unsaturated anhydride, an unsaturated ester, an unsaturated imide and mixtures thereof at a temperature above about 120° C. but no more than about 200° C.

Claim 20

A method for producing an asphaltic composition having improved tensile properties which comprises: (a) contacting asphalt with from about 0.25 to about 4 wt. % of a mineral acid to form an acid modified asphalt, (b) contacting said acid modified asphalt with an oxyqen-containing gas to form an acid/oxygen modified asphalt, the temperature of the asphalt during said contacting in (a) and (b) being maintained between about 200° and about 300° C., (c) contacting said acid/oxygen modified asphalt with from about 5 to about 25 wt. % of a thermoplastic elastomer at a temperature between about 160° and about 220° C. to form a polymer modified asphalt, and (d) contacting said polymer modified asphalt with from about 0.3 to about 15 wt. % of an unsaturated functional monomer selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, an unsaturated anhydride, an unsaturated ester, an unsaturated imide and mixtures thereof at a temperature above about 120° C. but no more than about 200° C.

Claim 35

A method for producing an asphaltic composition having improved tensile properties which comprises: (a) passing air through an asphalt having an atmospheric boiling point of at least 380° C., which is maintained at a temperature of about 200° C. to about 280° C. for a period of time ranging between about 0.5 to about 2 hours to form an air blown asphalt; (b) subsequently adding between about 0.25 and about 4 wt. % phosphoric acid to the air blown asphalt and passing air through said air blown asphalt for an additional period of time ranging from about 1 to about 12 hours to form an acid/air modified asphalt; (c) adding between about 5 to about 25 wt. % styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer to said acid/air modified asphalt at a temperature between about 160° and about 220° C. to form a polymer modified asphalt; and (d) adding between about 0.3 and about 15 wt. % of an unsaturated functional monomer selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and mixtures thereof to said polymer modified asphalt at a temperature above about 120° C. but no more than about 200° C.

Claim 36

A method for producing an asphaltic composition having improved tensile properties which comprises: (a) passing air through an asphalt having an atmospheric boiling point of at least 380° C., which is maintained at a temperature of about 200° C. to about 280° C. for a period of time ranging between about 0.5 to about 2 hours to form an air blown asphalt; (b) subsequently adding between about 0.25 and about 4 wt. % phosphoric acid to the air blown asphalt and passing air through said air blown asphalt for an additional period of time ranging from about 1 to about 12 hours to form an acid/air modified asphalt; (c) adding between about 5 to about 25 wt. % styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer to said acid/air modified asphalt at a temperature between about 160° and about 220° C. to form a polymer modified asphalt; and (d) adding between about 0.3 and about 15 wt. % of an unsaturated functional monomer selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and mixtures thereof to said polymer modified asphalt at a temperature above about 120° C. but no more than about 200° C.