Universal cross linking compound and polymer

Abstract

A polymer modified asphalt which includes asphalt, a polymer, an aldehyde or a melamine resin, and an element chosen from a group consisting of Group VI-A of Periodic Table, such as sulphur.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen which comprises: 
 asphalt or bitumen;    a natural or synthetic polymer;    a universal cross linking agent consisting of: 
 a) aldehyde, phenol aldehyde or melamine resins;  
 b) Group VI-A elements or donors thereof; and  
 c) carbonates; and  
   a redox reaction consisting of a metal anion of the form M(A) x  and a salt of the form MH x  where M is a metal and H is another metal and X is an integer greater than 1.    
     
     
         2 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said synthetic polymer is either block or random and is solid or latex vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and conjugated diene.  
     
     
         3 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon is styrene and said conjugated diene is butadiene.  
     
     
         4 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said aldehyde is furfural at levels greater than about 0.05 wt. % of the total polymer modified asphalt.  
     
     
         5 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said Group VI-A element is sulfur.  
     
     
         6 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said Group VI-A element is dissolved in a hydroxide solution of a Group I-A element.  
     
     
         7 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 6  wherein said Group I-A element as a hydroxide is sodium hydroxide at levels greater than about 0.05 wt. % of the polymer modified asphalt.  
     
     
         8 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said cross linking agent is catalysed by mineral or organic acid or base.  
     
     
         9 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said mineral acid is hydrochloric acid.  
     
     
         10 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said organic acid is toluene sulfonic acid.  
     
     
         11 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  including both said phenol aldehyde and aldehyde and wherein said phenol aldehyde is a resin dissolved in aldehyde.  
     
     
         12 . A method of producing a polymer modified asphalt or bitumen compound which comprises the steps of: 
 modifying asphalt or bitumen with a natural or synthetic polymer additive;    adding a universal cross linking agent consisting of aldehyde-furfural, phenol aldehyde or melamine resins to said polymer modified asphalt and thereafter mixing;    adding an element chosen from the group consisting of Group VI-A of the Periodic Table of Elements as an additive to the polymer modified asphalt and said agent and thereafter mixing.    
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a polymer modified asphalt or bitumen compound which comprises the steps of: 
 dissolving an element chosen from the group consisting of Group VI-A of the Periodic Table of Elements in an alkali metal hydroxide solution; and    mixing the resulting solution in a mixture of asphalt or bitumen and a polymer additive.    
     
     
         14 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein: 
 said Group VIA element is dispersed or dissolved in water;  
 said metal anion is dispersed or dissolved in water; and  
 said salt is dispersed or dissolved in water.  
 
     
     
         15 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  including at least one functional end group on each said polymer.  
     
     
         16 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said functional end group is a carboxylic acid end group or a hydroxyl group.  
     
     
         17 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 16  wherein said polymer is of natural origin selected from a group consisting of cellulose, starch, glycogen, mono- or dis-accharide, and natural rubber.  
     
     
         18 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said polymer is either starch or gelatin or both.  
     
     
         19 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon is styrene and the conjugated diene is butadiene.  
     
     
         20 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said polymer is alpha olefin of ethylenic unsaturation chosen from the group consisting of ethylene vinyl acetate, methyl acrylate and acrylic acid copolymers thereof.  
     
     
         21 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 14  wherein said metal M is selected from Groups I-A, II-A, III-A, IV-A, V-A, VI-A, VII-A, I-B, II-B, VI-B, VII-B, VIII-B of the Periodic Table of Elements or the Alkali Metal Group or complexes thereof.  
     
     
         22 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 14  wherein said metal M is selected from the group iron, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium, tin, phosphorous, the ammonium radical or combinations there of.  
     
     
         23 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 14  wherein said metal A is selected from Groups I-A, II-A, III-A, IV-A, V-A, VI-A, VII-A, I-B, II-B, VI-B, VII-B, VIII-B of the Periodic Table or a member of the Group of Negative Ions or a member of the Halide Group of Negative Ions or complexes thereof.  
     
     
         24 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 23  wherein said metal A is selected from a group consisting of Group VII-A Elements of the Periodic Table.  
     
     
         25 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 24  wherein said metal A is either chlorine, oxygen, sulfate, or phosphate.  
     
     
         26 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said aldehyde is furfural.  
     
     
         27 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said phenol is a resin and is either a novalac or resol resin.  
     
     
         28 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 27  wherein said novalac resin contains hexamethylenetetramine.  
     
     
         29 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 27  wherein said resol resin is natural or synthetic in origin.  
     
     
         30 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 29  wherein said resol resin is natural in origin and may be either tannic acid or quebracho.  
     
     
         31 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 29  wherein said resol resin is synthetic and contains methylol.  
     
     
         32 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 14  wherein said hydroxide of Group I-A elements of the Periodic Table is sodium hydroxide.  
     
     
         33 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 14  including an element selected from Group VI-A of the Periodic Table and a soap.  
     
     
         34 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 33  wherein said soap is a cationic soap.  
     
     
         35 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 34  wherein said cationic soap contains a saponified amine or amines and mineral acid.  
     
     
         36 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 35  wherein the saponified amine or amines contains primary diamines.  
     
     
         37 . A polymer modified asphalt or bitumen as set forth in  claim 35  wherein the mineral acid is hydrochloric acid.  
     
     
         38 . A segmented or block copolymer having segments A-B-C-D which copolymer comprises: 
 A is a segment of at least 5 wt. % of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon; B is a segment of at least 1 wt. % of a mixture of varying proportions of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene; C is a segment of at least 10 wt. % of a conjugated diene; and D is a segment of at least 3 wt. % of a pendent vinyl structure of the conjugated diene segment C.    
     
     
         39 . A segmented or block copolymer as set forth in  claim 38  wherein said vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon of segment A is styrene.  
     
     
         40 . A segmented or block copolymer as set forth in  claim 38  wherein said mixture of vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and conjugated diene of segment B is a mixture of styrene and butadiene.  
     
     
         41 . A segmented or block copolymer as set forth in  claim 38  wherein said conjugated diene of segment C is butadiene.  
     
     
         42 . A segmented or block copolymer as set forth in  claim 38  wherein said pendent vinyl structure of segment D is 1,2-butadiene.  
     
     
         43 . A segmented or block copolymer as set forth in  claim 38  including an additional segment E of at least one molecule of a functional or reactive molecule.  
     
     
         44 . A segmented or block copolymer as set forth in  claim 43  wherein said functional or reactive molecule of segment E is a carboxylic acid on a terminal end of the polymer.  
     
     
         45 . A polymer modified asphalt as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said block copolymer has a plurality of segments including a segment A of at least five wt. % of said vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon; a segment B of 0 wt % or greater of a mixture of varying proportions of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene; and a segment C of at least 10 wt. % of a conjugated diene.