IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,415,925
Granted Patent B2
US 12,415,925 · App. 17/565,589 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Sulfur-modified bitumen compositions

Inventors: Elham Fini (Phoenix, AZ); Albert Hung (Tempe, AZ)
Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
C08L95/00C08L2555/54C08L2555/64
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,415,925
App. No.
17/565,589
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Preparing a modified bitumen composition includes combining bitumen with elemental sulfur to yield a mixture, and crystallizing the elemental sulfur on a surface of the bitumen to yield a layer of elemental sulfur on the surface of the bitumen. The mixture typically includes about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of the elemental sulfur. A modified bitumen composition includes A modified bitumen composition includes bitumen and elemental sulfur on a surface of the bitumen. The modified bitumen composition includes about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of the elemental sulfur.

Claims (22)

1. A method of preparing a modified bitumen, the method comprising:

combining bitumen with elemental sulfur to yield a mixture, wherein the mixture comprises about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of the elemental sulfur; and

crystallizing the elemental sulfur on a surface of the bitumen to yield a layer of elemental sulfur on the surface of the bitumen to yield the modified bitumen,

wherein crystallizing the elemental sulfur on a surface of the bitumen comprises heating the bitumen under pressure in a pressure aging vessel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises about 10 wt % of the elemental sulfur.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising combining a bio-oil with the mixture.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the bio-oil comprises one or more of waste vegetable oil, wood pellet oil, corn stover oil, and miscanthus oil.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the bio-oil comprises polyaromatic molecules.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rubberized bitumen comprises crumb rubber.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the crumb rubber comprises bio-treated crumb rubber.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bio-treated crumb rubber comprises corn stover oil, castor oil, miscanthus oil, wood pellet oil, or waste vegetable oil.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elemental sulfur on the surface of the bitumen comprises sulfur blooms.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sulfur blooms comprise regions of microscale elemental sulfur crystals.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the regions comprise millimeter-sized patches.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified bitumen comprises amorphous elemental sulfur.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the amorphous elemental sulfur is beneath a surface of the modified bitumen.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture consists of bitumen and elemental sulfur.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture consists of bitumen, elemental sulfur, and bio-oil.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bio-oil comprises waste vegetable oil, wood pellet oil, corn stover oil, or miscanthus oil.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the bio-oil comprises wood pellet bio-oil.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture is free of stone aggregate.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bitumen comprises rubberized bitumen.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2022
From: HUNG, ALBERT
To: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 060422/0125 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2022
From: FINI, ELHAM
To: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 058941/0901 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63132402 · Dec 30, 2020
Related Publication 20220204773A1 · Jun 30, 2022
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