Improving the performance of polymer-modified asphalt (PMA) while making production more efficient and safer is an important challenge for the asphalt industry. Research into advanced crosslinking technologies offers promising opportunities to address these priorities together.
At the 2026 AMAP Annual Conference & Workshop, researchers from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Wisconsin presented research exploring these opportunities. Sripath is pleased to support this effort by providing materials and insight for the study, reflecting our commitment to advancing innovation in modified asphalt.
Research Team and Collaborators
The research brings together expertise from three organizations:
- Md Mushfique Us Saleheen, Jimmy Hennesey, Syed Ashik Ali, and Zaman Musharraf: University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
- Dennis Krivohlavek and Deepak Madan, Sripath Technologies LLC, Mahwah, New Jersey
- Hussain Bahia: University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
This collaboration combines university research expertise with industry participation to investigate crosslinking technologies that can advance polymer-modified asphalt performance and support safer production practices.
Exploring New Approaches to Crosslinking
The poster, "Advanced Crosslinking Technology to Deliver High-Performance Polymer Modified Asphalt and Safer PMA Operations," examines an innovative crosslinking agent (CLA) designed to improve the effectiveness of sulfur crosslinking in polymer-modified asphalt binders.
Crosslinking helps establish connections between the polymer and bitumen components of PMB, supporting binder stability and performance. However, manufacturers must also consider production efficiency, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) emissions, and the working environment.
The study evaluates how an advanced CLA performs compared with traditional sulfur powder across different asphalt binder grades. Researchers assess several properties including performance, storage stability, viscosity, and H₂S emissions. The evaluation also examines two forms of the crosslinking agent: a free-flowing, dust-free powder and a flowable liquid suspension.
By investigating these factors together, the research explores how crosslinking technology might help producers achieve consistent binder performance while addressing practical manufacturing challenges.
Evaluating Performance, Stability, and Production Safety
Developing effective crosslinking technology requires more than improving a single binder property. Producers need modified asphalt that maintains its performance characteristics during storage and use, while also considering the efficiency and safety of the manufacturing process.
The research evaluates these priorities through several complementary tests. High- and low-temperature performance grading helps characterize how binders respond to different temperature conditions. Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) testing assesses a binder's response to repeated loading and its resistance to permanent deformation, while viscosity measurements provide insight into flow characteristics relevant to processing and handling.
Storage stability testing examines whether a polymer-modified binder maintains consistent properties during high-temperature storage, an important consideration for producers who need reliable material performance before the binder reaches its final application. By testing different asphalt binder grades, SBS polymer sources, and crosslinking agent formulations, the study also explores how these variables influence the resulting PMA.
Production safety is another important focus. The researchers measure hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) emissions to evaluate how different crosslinking approaches affect the release of this hazardous gas during manufacturing. The poster also examines crosslinking reaction kinetics, which can help inform decisions about production time and process efficiency.
Taken together, these evaluations provide a broader view of how advanced crosslinking technology may help producers balance binder performance, storage stability, manufacturing efficiency, and safer working conditions.
Supporting Collaborative Industry Innovation
Research partnerships between universities and industry help connect scientific investigation with the technical challenges facing asphalt producers. By contributing materials and insights to this study, Sripath supports collaborative efforts to explore new approaches to modified asphalt technology.
Sripath is proud to support research that investigates ways to improve binder performance while addressing operational considerations important to the industry. These efforts demonstrate the value of bringing together academic expertise and industry participation to advance practical solutions.
We look forward to supporting this research and connecting with colleagues who share an interest in advancing the performance, production, and safety of polymer modified asphalt.
For more information, contact info@sripath.com.
