10TH AAPA INTERNATIONAL FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS CONFERENCE

SESSION 8A­ 29
SPRAY SEAL (II)

Development of Bitumen
Emulsion Precoats

John Lysenko Jo Cuttler

Technical Manager, Research & Develop­
Pioneer Road Services , ment Officer,
NSW Mobil Oil Australia

John Rebbechi Cliff Parfitt

Technical Consultant Bituminous Materials
CSR Emoleum Development Officer,
VicRoads

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 DEVELOPMENT OF BITUMEN EMULSION PRECOATS

John Lysenko
Technical Manager, Pioneer Road Services

Jo Cuttler
Research & Development Officer, Mobil Oil Australia

John Rebbechi
Technical Consultant, CSR Emoleum Road Services

Cliff Parfitt
Bituminous Materials Development Officer, VicRoads
1

INTRODUCTION

Aggregates used in bitumen spray sealing work are generally precoated with an oil or cutback
bitumen to overcome the influence of dust, moisture, and aggregate surface charge that might
otherwise reduce adhesion between the aggregate and bitumen.
Precoating may be done in the field immediately before use, or plant precoated at the point of
supply. The conventional procedures used are:
• Field precoating with distillate, usually in conjunction with loading aggregates into
spreading trucks. The distillate provides a temporary coating to overcome the effect of
surface dust on the aggregate. Adhesion agents may also be added to improve
dispersion and coating of wet aggregates.
• Plant precoating with cutback bitumen, generally in a pugmill mixer at the supply
quarry. Materials are usually allowed to cure for a week or more prior to use, and result
in a thin film of residual bitumen on the aggregate which provides a subsequent strong
bond with the sealing binder.

1 Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the support ofa large number ofpeople in the respective organisations who
contributed to the development of the products, conduct of trials and preparation of this paper. Particular
acknowledgment is given to Ian Rickards, Technical Manager, Australia, Noel Robbins, Area Manager, Sales, and
Tuan Luu, Laboratory Manager, ofPioneer Road Services, Sam Maccarrone, Research and Development Manager,
and Michael Johnston, Laboratory Manager, ofMobil Oil Australia, and Jim Dinakis, Emulsion Manager, ofCSR
Emoleum Road Services.

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In 1994, VicRoads initiated research to evaluate the potential use of bitumen emulsion for
precoating. The initiative was prompted by an increased awareness of developments in
emulsion technology, specifically those developed for aggregate precoating, and a desire to
move away from cutback bitumen for precoating, and at the same time:
• provide better precoating of damp/wet aggregates
• be more environmentally friendly
• reduce some of the safety risk associated with the effect of distillate precoating
materials on vehicle tyres
The VicRoads challenge was taken up by Pioneer Road Services and CSR Emoleum in a
cooperative research project comprising laboratory study and field evaluation. The field trials
were designed to evaluate the performance of the candidate precoat emulsions, prepared using
three typical spray seal operating scenarios, with the performance of control sections
conventionally field precoated with distillate.
The emulsion precoated aggregates were prepared as follows:
• precoated for immediate use
• precoated for use after short term storage (minimum three weeks)
• precoated for use after long term storage (minimum twelve weeks)
The emulsion precoat trials have proven to be very successful. The emulsion precoat sections
have identical visual appearance to the conventional distillate precoat controls sections, and
none have suffered any significant stone loss or stripping.
The trials provided a number of operational learning points, which have led to minor
modification of plant and equipment, and the implementation of housekeeping techniques to
avoid spillage and to reduce the amount of site cleanup.
The performance of the seals under traffic has been monitored for about two years and to date
all sections have provided good service.
It is concluded that emulsion precoats offer the same good performance as their conventional
distillate based predecessor, whilst offering the additional safety and environmental benefits
sought by VicRoads. The use of emulsion precoats is now a viable alternative treatment
available to road owners, offering environmental and safety benefits, without cost penalty.

EMULSION PRECOAT CHEMISTRY

Emulsion precoats were developed and optimised in the laboratory specifically for the purpose
of precoating aggregate. They have been designed to flow freely over the aggregate on
application, coating the aggregate with a thin film of emulsion. The emulsion breaks on the
surface of the aggregate, depositing a thin film of residual bitumen. The residual bitumen and
the selected additives ensure good adhesion to the sealing binder.
Emulsion precoats, like conventional precoats, suppress surface dust on the aggregate and
improve adhesion to the sealing binder. The emulsion precoats are cationic emulsions. A
cationic emulsion has a positive charge on the bitumen particles and this charge is
electrostatically attracted to the nett negative surface charge on most types of aggregates. The
bitumen particles attracted to the aggregate surface break on the stone and coat the surface
with a thin film of bitumen. This film presents a bitumen surface that is compatible with the
sealing binder.
Emulsion precoats have demonstrated superior precoating of wet aggregate. Emulsion
precoats are hydrophilic ("water loving"), unlike conventional precoats which are hydrophobic
and incompatible with water. Emulsion precoats, with this unique affinity for wet aggregate are
the most versatile of the aggregate precoating products.

2
LABORATORY TESTING OF PRECOATS AND ANTI-STRIP ADDITIVES

There are a number of test methods used by Australian road agencies to evaluate the
effectiveness of precoats and anti-stripping agents. These are typically variations on the plate
stripping tests described in AS1141.50. Candidate aggregate samples are fixed into a thin
bitumen film in a tray or plate, and preconditioned in an pven, followed by immersion in water.
Variation in the test method from state to state relate to the condition of the aggregate samples,
and the duration of oven conditioning and immersion.. The aggregate chips are then removed,
inspected, and the extent of the binder coating assessed. The proportion of aggregate particles
assessed as stripped is reported as a measure of the effectiveness of the pre-coat or anti-strip
agent.
Figure 1 shows the effect of aggregate conditioning on resistance to stripping. Both dry and wet
aggregates were evaluated with and without precoating. Emulsion and distillate based precoats
were evaluated at the same precoat rate of 9 Um3. On dry aggregate, results indicate that both
precoats were effective compared to non-precoated aggregate. On wet aggregate the
performance of the emulsion precoat was superior leading to the conclusion that the emulsion
precoat is the preferred precoat for wet/damp aggregate.

Figure 1: Effect of aggregate conditioning on stripping resistance

50
1::1 Dry Aggregate

� Wet Aggregate
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No Precoat Distilate Precoat Emulsion Precoat

Type of precoating application

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FIELD TRIALS
The design of the emulsion precoat study and the field trials was a cooperative activity between
VicRoads, Pioneer Road Services and CSR Emoleum personnel. A full description of the trials
is detailed in VicRoad reports (Parfitt 1996, Parfitt 1997).
..

The key components of the project were:

• CSR Emoleum and Pioneer Road Services would each use their purpose-built
aggregate loaders
• a single basalt aggregate source for all trials
• samples of emulsions supplied for subsequent settlement testing and reconstitution
potential.
• the highway site to be on a straight section with flat terrain
• existing surface texture to be constant over the trial site
• traffic volumes to be similar at each site
• separate rollers for the emulsion and distillate control section
• all information would be shared.
The project group determined the three typical operational conditions to be trialed:
Trial 1 - precoating wet and dry aggregate for immediate use
Trial 2 - precoating wet and damp aggregate for future use (3 week storage)
Trial 3 - quarry precoating of aggregates for extended storage (12 weeks plus).

Trial 1

Trial 1 was placed in November 1995, on Princes Highway West at 132 km post near
Warncoort.
As designed, each company used their modified aggregate loader to carry out the precoating.
The freshly coated 14 mm aggregate was then taken to site and immediately spread in the
normal manner. Emulsion precoat application rates were in the range 9.5 to 16 11m3 (the higher
extreme by Pioneer Road Services due to metering error). The suggested emulsion precoat
rate is in the range of 8 - 12 11m3 and varies with conditions.
The environmental conditions on the day were:
• air temperature 16° C
• surface temperature 18° C
• overcast, no rain
A conventional Class 170 bitumen with 10 parts of cutter and no adhesion agent was applied at
about 1.8 11m2. The temperature of the bitumen film had fallen to about 40 °C at the time of chip
application.
There is no visual difference in the performance of each of the seal sections after. two years.
Records indicate the aggregate surface mosaic was excellent for both the emulsion and the
control sites. Differences were apparent in the colour of the aggregates - the seals with the
emulsion precoat having a distinctly lighter colour than the seals with the distillate precoat. To
date there has been no stone loss observed from any of the sections on the trial site. When
aggregate particles are removed, all showed a strong bond with the underlying binder film, and
a complete coating of the binder on the underside of the aggregate.

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Trial 2

Trial 2 was placed in October 1995, precoated at Mia Mia Creek and spread at a site near
Cressey (54km from Geelong).
The aim of the trial was to assess precoating of damp aggregate material and storage for after
3 weeks storage. Both companies modified and improved the equipment following the
observations and lessons learned in Trial 1. Emulsion precoat application rates for the 14 mm
aggregate were in the range 11 to 14 11m3.
The environmental conditions on the day were:
• air temperature 20° C
• surface temperature 25° C
• cloudy, no rain
The binder comprising a Class 170 bitumen, 6 parts of cutter and no adhesion agent -
application rate was 1.6 11m2• Inspection of the second trial after two years indicate there is no
visual difference between the emulsion precoat sections and the control precoating materials.
Following trials 1 & 2, the emulsions samples were subjected to storage stability testing. The
tests showed only minor settlement of the emulsions after nine months. The emulsions were
shown to be readily reconstituted with simple stirring.

Trial 3

Precoating of aggregates stockpiles - both companies treated nominated 10 mm aggregate

stockpiles in the quarry - these had been exposed to the elements and were damp. The
emulsion precoat application rate was somewhat lower relative to trials 1 & 2 - a range of 8 to
9.5 11m3. The stockpile was then left exposed to the elements for more than 3 months prior to
the sealing trial.
The sealing trial was placed on Princes Highway West at 126 km, between Winchelsea and
Colac near Warncoort.
The binder used in the sealing trial was Class 170 bitumen, modified with five parts of 30 mesh
crumbed rubber, and eight parts of cutter. The environmental conditions on the day were:
• surface temperature 31-33° C
• weather fine and dry
The temperature of the bitumen film had fallen to about 50 °C at the time of chip application.
The results of trial 3 indicate that the performance of the emulsion precoating, even after 3
month stockpiling exposed to the elements, was indiscernible from conventional distillate-based
precoating applied fresh at the time of the trial. This is particularly satisfactory having regard to
the use of the rubber modified binder.
In summary the results of the trials support the general conclusion that after two years there is
no difference in the visual appearance or the stone retention of spray seals using emulsion
precoated aggregate and the standard distillate based precoated aggregate.
Emulsion precoating techniques have been enhanced and equipment modified as a result of
the trials such that the process is now well controlled and tidy. It is concluded that emulsion
precoating is a viable precoating alternative, now available to clients seeking to continue the
beneficial use of precoating for spray sealing works, but with improved safety and a significant
reduction in environmental effects.

5
EMULSION PRECOATS - SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES
Particular requirements to be observed when handling precoating emulsions include the
following.
• Precoat emulsion must be efficiently stirred or circulated both before and during use.
• Precoat emulsion may be used without heating.
• Centrifugal pumps are preferred for pumping precoat emulsions, however gear pumps
have been used successfully. The emulsion supplier will advise the suitable pump for
the selected product.
• Magnetic type flow meters (no moving parts) are preferred (vane type and similar types
of flow meters may produce inaccuracies through sticking but have been used
successfully).
• Plant precoating systems using pugmill type mixers require no modification other than
ensuring that appropriate storage, pumping and metering equipment is provided.
• Field precoating with trommel type aggregate loading equipment should preferably be
applied at the point of discharge from the conveyor belt to the spreading truck. Where
precoating is done inside the screening trommel, a build up of bitumen can occur on the
screen surfaces. Similarly, precoating at the point of discharge from the trommel to the
conveyor can result in a build up of bitumen on the conveyor belt although this is less
difficult to deal with than screen surfaces. Fresh precoat material on equipment surfaces
can be removed with water but cured materials may require the use of hydrocarbon
based cleaning agents.
• It was found during the trials that the high performance of emulsion precoats on wet
aggregates could be exploited by spraying water on the aggregates, as they entered the
trommel, to reduce dust and dirt on the aggregates prior to applying the precoat
emulsion.

THE USE OF EMULSION PRECOATS - BENEFITS

Emulsion precoat can be used for both field and plant precoating applications.
When used as a fresh field coating material, the cationic adhesion agents incorporated in the
emulsion manufacture are particularly effective in displacing moisture and ensuring a good
bond between the aggregate and bituminous binder. Where aggregates are very wet, the
emulsion precoat significantly outperforms distillate, even when adhesion agent is mixed with
the distillate.
The quarry precoating plant is the preferred location for emulsion precoating, offering improved
control over application rates to optimise coating and minimise waste
Emulsion precoats also offer the following safety and environmental benefits.
• reduced risk of vehicles skidding due to distillate material tracked by vehicles from
sealing works onto adjoining road surfaces.
• reduced risk of skidding of construction vehicles used on bituminous surfacing work, due
to an accumulation of oil in tyre rubber which can lead to poorer adhesion on wet road
surfaces.
• improved safety in storage and handling which also avoids the need to comply with
flammable materials storage requirements.
• reduced loss of volatile oils to the atmosphere (whilst the use of cutback bitumen and
distillate in aggregate precoating is not considered to be a significant contributor to
greenhouse gasses in Australia, any reduction in hydrocarbon emissions is beneficial,
and contributes to the conservation of a non-renewable resource)

6
 • reduced risk of distillate material being washed off roadways and stockpile areas and
causing damage to indigenous grasses and other vegetation, and waterways.
When applied in a well regulated precoating plant, the emulsion precoat results in an effectively
bonded, thin film of residual bitumen.

FUTURE WORK
The effort in the future will focus on the implementation of the emulsion pre-coat process, and
follow-up of field trials to record performance observations. Works will be concentrated on the
resolution of any handling concerns and product modifications as required
The underlying principles of emulsion precoating are understood. It is believed that the future
development work will focus on the modification of emulsion systems to achieve the best
performance/economic balance, and this will probably be a function of the aggregate and
environmental conditions.
It is observed that the owner / specifier should rely on performance related testing of the
aggregate / binder system rather than being prescriptive - for instance prescribing the residual
bitumen content of the precoat emulsion. Emulsion precoat performance should be evaluated
by road authority test methods. A prescribed binder content is not pertinent as performance will
be determined by the precoating application rate for the product.

CONCLUSIONS
The emulsion precoat trials carried out by Pioneer Road Services and CSR Emoleum in
cooperation with VicRoads, have demonstrated that emulsion performance is equal to the
standard distillate based precoat systems. This holds true over the range of operating
conditions found in the field - on aggregates precoated immediately prior to application, or
stockpiled and exposed to the elements for a period exceeding three months.
It is concluded the emulsion precoat system offers the client a proven alternative to the
conventional precoating systems. The emulsion precoat will offer enhanced safety and reduced
environmental impact, without significantly cost penalty.
VicRoads have now amended their standard specifications for sealing works to allow bitumen
emulsion precoat to be used as an acceptable alternative to distillate and cutback bitumen.

REFERENCES

Parfitt C. 1996. Aggregate precoating trial s using low binder content emul sion. VicRoads
R&D Project N° 635, Internal report N° 96 - 1
Parfitt C. 1997. Quarry precoating of aggregate using l ow binder content emulsion.
VicRoads R&D Project N° 635, Internal report N° 97 - 1