Meltable crack sealant packaging

1. A meltable crack sealant package consisting essentially of:

a polymeric container formed of non-expanded polypropylene homopolymer, said polymeric container having a base portion and an upwardly extending sidewall that terminates in a rim that defines an opening, said polymeric container defining a receptacle;

a polymeric lid formed of non-expanded polypropylene homopolymer, said polymeric lid operatively engaging with the polymeric container to close off the opening and thereby seal the receptacle in a watertight manner; and

a crack sealant material contained within the sealed reservoir of the container, said crack sealant material being a solid at temperatures up to at least 100° F.;

wherein said meltable crack sealant package is capable of being heated to a temperature within the range of from about 350° F. to about 450° F. to form a molten liquid material for application to pavement surfaces to seal joints and cracks therein.

2. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 1 wherein an area of the opening in the polymeric container is larger than an area of a periphery of the base portion, and wherein said polymeric lid includes a recess that is dimensioned to receive the base of an identical meltable crack sealant package.

3. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 2 wherein said upwardly extending sidewalls taper from the opening to the periphery of the base portion.

4. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric container is self-supporting and does not deform when ten identical packages of meltable crack sealant packages are stacked thereon for two weeks at 90° F.

5. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric container and polymeric lid, when melted together with the crack sealant material contained therewithin, improves at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

the penetration of the applied crack sealant material as measured according to ASTM D 5329;

the softening point of the applied crack sealant material as measured according to ASTM D 36; and

the tack of the applied crack sealant material as measured by a modified ASTM D 3121.

6. A method of forming a meltable crack sealant package comprising:

providing a polymeric container consisting essentially of non-expanded polypropylene homopolymer, said polymeric container having a base portion, at least one upwardly extending sidewall terminating in a rim that defines an opening, said polymeric container defining a receptacle;

providing a polymeric lid consisting essentially of non-expanded polypropylene homopolymer for the polymeric container;

pouring a molten crack sealant material that is at a temperature below about 300° F. into the receptacle of the container;

operatively engaging the polymeric lid with the rim of the polymeric container to close off the opening and thereby seal the crack sealant material within the receptacle in a watertight manner; and

allowing the container to cool to a temperature below about 100° F. such that the crack sealant material sealed within the receptacle becomes a solid.

7. A method of sealing a crack or joint in a pavement surface, the method comprising:

providing a meltable crack sealant package according to claim 1 ;

heating the meltable crack sealant package to a temperature within the range of from about 350° F. to about 450° F. to form a molten liquid material; and

applying the molten liquid material to the pavement surface to seal the joint or crack therein.

8. A meltable crack sealant package consisting essentially of:

a polymeric container formed of non-expanded polypropylene homopolymer, said polymeric container having a base portion and an upwardly extending sidewall that terminates in a rim that defines an opening, said polymeric container defining a receptacle;

a polymeric lid formed of non-expanded polypropylene homopolymer, said polymeric lid operatively engaging with the polymeric container to close off the opening and thereby seal the receptacle in a watertight manner;

a handle pivotally secured to the lid or to the polymeric container, said handle being selectively movable between a non-operational position wherein said handle is adjacent to said upwardly extending sidewalls and an operational position wherein said handle is above said lid portion; and

a crack sealant material contained within the sealed reservoir of the container, said crack sealant material being a solid at temperatures up to at least 100° F.;

wherein said meltable crack sealant package is capable of being heated to a temperature within the range of from about 350° F. to about 450° F. to form a molten liquid material for application to pavement surfaces to seal joints and cracks therein.

9. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 8 , wherein an area of the opening in the polymeric container is larger than an area of a periphery of the base portion, and wherein said polymeric lid includes a recess that is dimensioned to receive the base of an identical meltable crack sealant package.

10. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 9 , wherein said upwardly extending sidewalls taper from the opening to the periphery of the base portion.

11. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 8 , wherein the polymeric container is self-supporting and does not deform when ten identical packages of meltable crack sealant packages are stacked thereon for two weeks at 90° F.

12. The meltable crack sealant package according to claim 8 , wherein the polymeric container and polymeric lid, when melted together with the crack sealant material contained therewithin, improves at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

the penetration of the applied crack sealant material as measured according to ASTM D 5329;

the softening point of the applied crack sealant material as measured according to ASTM D 36; and

the tack of the applied crack sealant material as measured by a modified ASTM D 3121.

13. A method of sealing a crack or joint in a pavement surface, the method comprising:

providing a meltable crack sealant package according to claim 8 ;

heating the meltable crack sealant package to a temperature within the range of from about 350° F. to about 450° F. to form a molten liquid material; and

applying the molten liquid material to the pavement surface to seal the joint or crack therein.