SBIR Phase I: Polyacrylated Glycerol (PAG) Polymers in Asphalt Maintenance Applications

该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是将一种新型的可再生资源衍生聚合物聚丙烯酸酯甘油（PAG）引入沥青道路养护行业。 该项目将展示PAG的性能和效率，以提高普通沥青维护应用的性能和预期寿命。 如果成功，该项目将为生物柴油工业的重要副产品甘油的新需求创造一条途径。 此外，它还将创造潜力，用具有显著可再生成分的绿色产品取代每年高达50，000吨的石油衍生聚合物。该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第1阶段项目将探索PAG弹性体在沥青道路维护应用中作为粘合促进剂、密封剂、底漆和沥青添加剂的潜力。 一系列实验室生产的PAG聚合物，其分子量、平均丙烯酸官能度和残留丙烯酸共聚单体含量不同，将使用一系列基于实验室的测试进行探索，这些测试旨在表征用PAG聚合物改性的沥青底漆、密封层、粘结层、微表处和碎石封层的性能。 此外，该项目的第一阶段将探索扩大PAG聚合物的生产规模，从实验室规模到中试规模的潜力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to introduce a novel and renewably resource-derived polymer, Polyacrylated Glycerol (PAG), to the asphalt road maintenance industry. The project will demonstrate the performance and efficiency of PAG to improve the performance and life expectancy of common asphalt maintenance applications. If successful, this project will create a pathway to new demand for glycerol, a significant byproduct of the bio-diesel industry. Furthermore, it will create the potential to replace up to 50,000 tons per year of petroleum-derived polymers with a green product having significant renewable content. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project will explore the potential for PAG elastomers to perform as adhesion promoters, sealants, primers, and asphalt additives in asphalt roadway maintenance applications. A series of laboratory produced PAG polymers with variations in molecular weight, average acrylic functionality, and residual acrylic acid comonomer content will be explored using a series of laboratory-based tests designed to characterize performance of asphalt primers, seal coats, tack coats, micro surfacing, and chip seals modified with the PAG polymers. In addition, this Phase 1 project will explore the potential to scale-up the manufacturing of the PAG polymer from a laboratory scale to pilot scale.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.