Method of making an asphalt composition containing ester bottoms

Abstract

This invention involves the addition of ester bottoms to an asphalt paving composition to improve the usable temperature range (UTR). The ester bottoms are a byproduct of refining a feedstock containing all or a portion of vegetable oil or animal fat.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method of making paving asphalt comprising:
 adding 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % ester bottoms to an asphalt mixture wherein the ester bottoms are a byproduct of methyl ester refining; and   adding 0-20 wt % of a polymer modifier to the ester bottoms and asphalt mixture.   
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1  wherein the ester bottoms contain methyl esters, sodium soap, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, and unsaponifiables. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2  wherein the unsaponifiables make up about 10 wt % of the ester bottoms. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the ester bottoms have a viscosity range of 10-900 cp at 64° C. 
     
     
       5. A method of making a paving asphalt comprising adding ester bottoms to an asphalt mixture to increase the useable temperature range of the paving asphalt, wherein the ester bottoms are a byproduct of methyl ester refining. 
     
     
       6. A method of making a paving asphalt comprising adding ester bottoms to an asphalt mixture to meet a predetermined useable temperature range, wherein the ester bottoms are a byproduct of methyl ester refining. 
     
     
       7. A modified asphalt composition comprising:
 50 wt % to about 99.9 wt % of an asphalt;   0 wt % to about 20 wt % of an asphalt-modifying polymer; and   0.1 wt % to about 50 wt % of ester bottoms, the ester bottoms being defined as distillation bottoms of distilled reaction products from reaction of methanol and dry oil that have settled glycerin removed therefrom prior to distillation.    
     
     
       8. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the ester bottoms include unsaponifiables in an amount of at least about 10% thereof.  
     
     
       9. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the ester bottoms are without skimmed fatty acids.  
     
     
       10. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the ester bottoms include one or more sodium soaps.  
     
     
       11. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the ester bottoms have a viscosity range of between about 10 cP and about 900 cP at 64° C.  
     
     
       12. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the ester bottoms include diglycerides and triglycerides.  
     
     
       13. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the asphalt includes from about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % recycled asphalt.  
     
     
       14. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the asphalt-modifying polymer has one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of butadiene, styrene, vinyl acetate, ethylene, propylene, acrylate, isoprene, and acrylamide.  
     
     
       15. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein a useable temperature range of the modified asphalt composition is greater than an asphalt composition without ester bottoms.  
     
     
       16. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 7 , wherein the dry oil includes one or more of a vegetable oil or an animal fat that has been at least partially dried to remove moisture therefrom.  
     
     
       17. A modified asphalt composition comprising:
 50 wt % to about 99.9 wt % of an asphalt;   0 wt % to about 20 wt % of a polymer modifier; and   0.1 wt % to about 50 wt % of ester bottoms, the ester bottoms being defined as distillation bottoms of a water-washed reaction product between methanol and dry oil from which settled glycerin is removed from the water-washed reaction product prior to distillation, the dry oil containing one or more of a vegetable oil or an animal fat that has been dried to remove at least some moisture therefrom.    
     
     
       18. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 17 , wherein the ester bottoms include unsaponifiables in an amount of at least about 10% thereof.  
     
     
       19. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 17 , wherein the ester bottoms include one or more sodium soaps.  
     
     
       20. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 17 , wherein the ester bottoms have a viscosity range of between about 10 cP and about 900 cP at 64° C.  
     
     
       21. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 17 , wherein the asphalt includes from about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % recycled asphalt.  
     
     
       22. A modified asphalt composition comprising:
 50 wt % to about 99.9 wt % of an asphalt;   0 wt % to about 20 wt % of an asphalt modifier selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a resin, polyphosphoric acid, gilsonite, lignin and crumb rubber; and   0.1 wt % to about 50 wt % of ester bottoms, the ester bottoms being defined as distillation bottoms of a water-washed methyl ester reaction product between reagents methanol and at least one of vegetable oil or animal fat from which glycerin is settled and removed from the methyl ester reaction product prior to distillation.    
     
     
       23. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 22 , wherein the ester bottoms include unsaponifiables in an amount of at least about 10% thereof.  
     
     
       24. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 22 , wherein the ester bottoms include one or more sodium soaps.  
     
     
       25. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 22 , wherein the ester bottoms have a viscosity range of between about 10 cP and about 900 cP at 64° C.  
     
     
       26. The modified asphalt composition of  claim 22 , wherein the asphalt includes from about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % recycled asphalt.