Patent US5964838A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5702199A
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US
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Plastic asphalt paving material and method of making same
Assignee: FISCHBACK GARY M
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Filing: 1995-11-09
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Granted: 1997-12-30
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Expires: 2015-11-09
Abstract
Abstract An asphaltic concrete or paving material includes from 5 to 20 percent or more of granular recycled plastic, which supplements or replaces the rock aggregate component of the mixture. The material produces a structurally superior paving material and longer lived roadbed. The paving material includes any and all residual classes of recyclable plastic, including thermosetting plastics and other plastics having little to no current widespread utility. The material produces roadbeds of higher strength with less total asphalt thickness and having greater water impermeability, and is most useful for all layers below the surface layer. The recyclable plastic component of the material is preferably a mixture of all recyclable classes 3 through 7, or of those materials from such classes from which potentially more valuable recyclable materials have been selectively removed. The paving product is preferably formed by a process of shredding or mechanically granulating used and industrial waste plastic to a no. 4 to 1/2 inch sieve size, and preferably to 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch granules. The granules are then treated with a reducing flame, with a plasma flame process, to activate the surface of the granules and increase the surface tension without raising the temperature of the plastic. The activated treated granules are then added to the aggregate and mixed with the asphalt to produce the paving material.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary M. Fishback
- 👤 Dennis M. Egan
- 👤 Hilary Stelmar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 06:40
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01C; E01C19/00; E01C19/02; E01C19/10; E01C19/1059; E01C19/1068; E01C19/1072; C; C08; C08L; C08L95/00; E01C7/00; E01C7/08; E01C7/18; E01C7/26; E01C7/265; C08L2555/00; C08L2555/20; C08L2555/24; C08L2555/30; C08L2555/34; C08L2555/40; C08L2555/80; C08L2555/86
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A roadway comprising: a base gravel layer; an asphaltic layer overlying the base layer and including: an asphalt binder, and an aggregate component, including rock aggregate and at least five percent by volume of particles of a plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces, a major portion of the plastic aggregate being of a plastic material having a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of: mechanically reducing plastic material to granules, most of which are at least 1/8 inch in size; and treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A roadway comprising: a base gravel layer; an asphaltic layer overlying the base layer and including: an asphalt binder, and an aggregate component, including rock aggregate and at least five percent by volume of particles of a plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces, a major portion of the plastic aggregate being of a plastic material having a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of: mechanically reducing plastic material to granules, most of which are at least 1/8 inch in size; and treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The roadway of claim 1 wherein: the mechanically reducing step reduces the plastic material to granules, most of which are less than 3/8 inch in size.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The roadway of claim 1 wherein: the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a reducing flame.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The roadway of claim 1 wherein: the rock aggregate is between seventy and ninety-five percent by volume of the aggregate component and at least half of which is natural rock ranging in size from no. 40 sieve to no. 3/4 inch sieve.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The roadway of claim 1 wherein: the composition of the plastic material is at least thirty percent recycled plastic from the group consisting of thermoset plastics, PVC, and high density polypropylene and polystyrene.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The roadway of claim 1 wherein: the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a plasma.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The roadway of claim 1 wherein: the plastic material includes predominantly residual recycled plastic material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The roadway of claim 1 wherein: the plastic material includes a composition of a plurality of different plastic materials corresponding to at least two different ones of PCCS classes 3 through 7.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
192 words
A roadway comprising: a base layer comprised substantially of gravel; and an asphaltic layer overlying the base layer and formed of an asphalt binder and aggregate; the aggregate including at least five percent by volume of particles of plastic aggregate, the particles of plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces at which the particles of plastic aggregate bond to the asphalt binder, the particles of plastic aggregate having a substantial portion thereof which is of a plastic material of a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of: mechanically reducing the size of at least portions of plastic material to granules thereof of a given size; and treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of a major portion of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules so as to enhance the bonding thereof to the asphaltic binder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
192 words
A roadway comprising: a base layer comprised substantially of gravel; and an asphaltic layer overlying the base layer and formed of an asphalt binder and aggregate; the aggregate including at least five percent by volume of particles of plastic aggregate, the particles of plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces at which the particles of plastic aggregate bond to the asphalt binder, the particles of plastic aggregate having a substantial portion thereof which is of a plastic material of a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of: mechanically reducing the size of at least portions of plastic material to granules thereof of a given size; and treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of a major portion of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules so as to enhance the bonding thereof to the asphaltic binder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein:. most of the particles of plastic are of a size at least 1/8 inch large.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The roadway or claim 9 wherein: most of the particles of plastic are of a size less than 3/8 inch large.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein: the particles of plastic are substantially all from the group consisting of plastic material corresponding to PCCS classes 3 through 7.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The roadway of claim 9 further comprising: a surface layer overlying the asphaltic layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein: the plastic material includes at least thirty percent recycled plastic from the group consisting of thermoset plastics, PVC, and high density polypropylene and polystyrene.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein: the rock aggregate is between seventy and ninety-five percent by volume of the aggregate component and at least half of which is natural rock ranging in size from no. 40 sieve to no. 3/4 inch sieve.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein: the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a plasma.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein: the plastic material includes predominantly residual recycled plastic material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein: the plastic material includes a composition of a plurality of different plastic materials corresponding to at least two different ones of PCCS classes 3 through 7.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The roadway of claim 9 wherein: the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a reducing flame.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
173 words
A roadway comprising at least one layer wherein: at least one layer is comprised substantially of gravel; at least one layer includes an asphalt binder and an aggregate component of at least five percent by volume of particles of a plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces, a major portion of the plastic aggregate being of a plastic material having a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and, the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of: mechanically educing the size of at least portions of plastic material to granules thereof of a given size; and treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of a major portion of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules so as to enhance the bonding thereof to the asphaltic binder.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
173 words
A roadway comprising at least one layer wherein: at least one layer is comprised substantially of gravel; at least one layer includes an asphalt binder and an aggregate component of at least five percent by volume of particles of a plastic aggregate having treated activated surfaces, a major portion of the plastic aggregate being of a plastic material having a composition corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7; and, the particles of plastic aggregate being made according to the process comprising the steps of: mechanically educing the size of at least portions of plastic material to granules thereof of a given size; and treating the surfaces of the granules with an activating vapor at a temperature sufficiently low and for a time sufficiently short to avoid substantial melting, burning or other perceptible change to the surface of a major portion of the granules, the treating step utilizing a vapor sufficiently active to activate the surfaces of the granules so as to enhance the bonding thereof to the asphaltic binder.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The roadway of claim 20 wherein: most of the particles of plastic are of a size at least 1/8 inch large.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The roadway of claim 21 wherein: most of the particles of plastic are of a size less than 3/8 inch large.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
The roadway of claim 20 wherein: the particles of plastic are substantially all from the group consisting of plastic material corresponding to one or more of PCCS classes 3 through 7.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
The roadway of claim 20 further comprising: a surface layer overlying the asphaltic layer.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
30 words
The roadway of claim 20 wherein: the plastic material includes at least thirty percent recycled plastic from the group consisting of thermoset plastics, PVC, and high density polypropylene and polystyrene.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The roadway of claim 20 wherein: the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a plasma.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
The roadway of claim 20 wherein: the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the granules with activating vapor in the form of a reducing flame.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
The roadway of claim 20 wherein: the plastic material includes predominantly residual recycled plastic material.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
32 words
The roadway of claim 20 wherein: the plastic material includes a composition of a plurality of different plastic materials corresponding to at least two different ones of PCCS classes 3 through 7.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 20 wherein: the treating step includes the step of treating the surfaces of the particles with activating medium in the form of a ionized corona or plasma.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-12-29 | 2001-06-30 | 2001-12-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-12-29 | 2005-06-30 | 2005-12-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-12-29 | 2009-06-30 | 2009-12-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |