Skip to main content

PGXpand®: A Specially-Engineered Innovative Polymer

Sripath Technologies LLC develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of innovative additives, such as, rejuvenators, oils, anti-strip agents, and polymers to enhance the performance of bitumen for both paving and roofing applications. Sripath Technologies, located in New Jersey USA since 2006, has affiliates around the world: Sripath Innovations Ltd in London UK, Bitpath Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai India and Sripath Asia-Pac Pty. Ltd. in Melbourne Australia.
March 7, 2022 Read time: 2 mins

 

A key product offered by Sripath is PGXpand – a specially-engineered innovative polymer used to enhance the high temperature properties of bitumen without impacting the low temperature properties.  PGXpand is a highly bitumen-compatible plastomeric polymer.  It has been specifically designed to interact with bitumen in a very unique and innovative manner, allowing the product to deliver outstanding roadway performance, even though it does not confer any significant elastic recovery properties to the bitumen.

PGXpand polymer easily melts into bitumen, mixes into bitumen using low shear mixers, lowers mixing temperatures and shortens mixing times.  It is easy to incorporate into a mix plant and exhibits excellent storage stability.  PGXpand is highly dosage efficient, it lowers the viscosity of bitumen and aids in lowering the paving temperature.  It helps lower energy consumption and reduces overall costs.

This polymer interacts with bitumen in a unique fashion and tends to provide exceptional properties to the PGXpand Modified Bitumen hot mixes.  PGXpand improves the key performance qualities of Bitumen, such as, softening point, penetration, and true high grade.  It lowers viscosity of the PMB mix, improves its workability and makes the mix easier to compact.  PGXpand delivers roadways with outstanding rutting resistance, fatigue properties and long-term durability.

For Hybrid PMB systems, PGXpand is highly compatible with elastomeric polymers.  It allows engineers to design mixes with lower levels of elastomeric polymers while delivery better or equivalent roadway properties.  Hybrid PMB mixes made using PGXpand have lower viscosity, better workability, and are significantly easier to manufacture and pave.  At the same time, they deliver excellent rutting properties, fatigue performance, and roadway durability.

Bitumen modified with PGXpand can also be used in hot spray seal applications on roadways, allowing for improved workability and better performance.  PGXpand Modified Emulsions are used for repair and maintenance applications in the paving industry to deliver long-term durability and reduce frequency of road repairs.

Sripath’s PGXpand has been tested, evaluated, and vetted by leading experts in academia, industry and transportation agencies from around the world. It has been trusted and effectively used on roadways across the globe since 2015.

For further information on PGXpand or other Sripath products, please visit www.Sripath.com.

Content produced in association with Sripath

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Advanced technologies will increase the wear life of bitumen further
    February 28, 2012
    Bitumen has been used for thousands of years, but now a wide variety of products are available that can be added to it to produce blends with improved properties. According to the Refined Bitumen Association (RBA) bitumen is the oldest known engineering material. Indeed, the organisation says that its versatility as a construction material is unparalleled, and having been used as an adhesive, sealant and waterproofing agent for over 8,000 years, its uses include the construction and maintenance of roads, ai
  • High-density polyethylene as a plastic additive
    November 18, 2021
    Using recycled plastic in a hot-mix asphalt requires choosing the right plastic with the appropriate mixing method, as Simon Tetley* in South Africa explains
  • Polymer enhanced bitumen technology improves performance
    July 11, 2012
    As overall traffic volumes increase, the contribution from commercial vehicles with increased axle loads is growing, putting ever more strain on roads and highway maintenance budgets. Highway authorities are looking for products that will be able to cope better and are more cost effective over the life of a road. Technical innovation is the only way to answer this challenge effectively, says BP Bitumen, one of a number of specialist companies involved in bitumen technology.
  • Bitumen additives raise environmental questions
    February 14, 2012
    New products, including additives, are coming onto the market to help reduce the cost of producing bitumen. Patrick smith reports. According to Eng. Paolo Visconti of Iterchimica, environmental issues and the health and safety of operators of manufacturing plants and workers laying bituminous mixes have raised long debates on the possible harmfulness of fumes which are emitted when heating these mixes at the temperatures (160-180°C) required for their production. "If, on the one hand, the effects on operato