HIGHLY MODIFIED ASPHALT BINDERS

Highly Modified Asphalt (HiMA™), a technology developed by Kraton, is designed to enhance durability and processability in asphalt pavement applications. The technology has more than twice the polymer loading of ordinary asphalt, which makes the asphalt act like asphalt-modified rubber instead of rubber-modified asphalt, enabling it to be more resistant to fatigue and deformation. The HiMA mixes are readily workable and easy to lay in the field, enhancing construction efficiency and performance.

HiMA significantly improves the structural pavement’s resistance to rutting and cracking under most circumstances, leading to longer product life. Thinner pavements can achieve equivalent engineering properties, and the asphalt layer’s upfront reduction and paving costs typically offset additional HiMA polymer loading. Both scenarios deliver reduced life cycle costing. This technology also enhances surface durability, increasing resistance to cracking and rutting since thin lift asphalt overlays and inlays, and micro surfacing treatments are regularly used to protect existing pavement from weather and traffic load stresses.

RETURN TO MAIN PAGE

Address these common paving concerns

HOW DOES HIMA WORK?

BITUMEN LEVEL

Enabled by Kraton’s special low viscosity polymers, HiMA technology transforms conventional bitumen
into a material that resembles a rubber band, with the added benefit to melt process it like normal bitumen.

Binder specifications that can be used in a project:

CLICK FOR PERFORMANCE GRADE (PG)   |   EMPIRICAL SPECIFICATIONS

 

  Pavement Design

Over the past 10 years HiMA mixes were implemented in a variety of pavements built according to existing specifications or designed using empirical as well as mechanistic-empirical design models. Following are the most common options for pavement design with HiMA.

01

Replace

Simply replace conventional asphalt binder with HiMA binder

02

Design

Empirical design model with HiMA-optimized input parameters.
Follow this link to learn more.

03

Optimize

Mechanistic empirical model with input parameters optimized for HiMA mixture properties.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I double the content of conventional SBS and achieve the HiMA performance?

Although it is possible in laboratory conditions to formulate PmB that achieves physical performance requirements of HiMA binder while using conventional SBS polymers, the viscosity of the formulation will be too high for asphalt mix production and paving.

 

What is the difference between conventional PmB (PMA) and HiMA?

The main difference is performance. While conventional PmB leverages polymer to gradually improve pavement rutting and fatigue cracking, HiMA enables a step change in pavement performance.

 

What does this product do in asphalt mixes?

From perspective of production you can expect not to see much difference from conventional PmB.

From perspective of performance, the mix will be much stronger and durable than conventional PmB mix.

Can I recycle HiMA mixes?

Yes. HiMA is enabled by thermoplastic polymers, which means that the asphalt binder can be molten, just like unmodified binder.

Is HiMA a proprietary technology?

No. In fact, HiMA has been adopted by a growing number of governmental agencies including United States Federal Highway Administration, Florida Department of Transportation and many others.

HiMA is an asphalt binder technology. The performance is enabled by Kraton’s low viscosity polymers.

 

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF PEER REVIEWED LITERATURE.