What Is PG 76-22?
PG 76-22 is a polymer-modified high-performance grade (PG) bitumen with improved performance in heat and heavy traffic. The 76 and -22 indicate its operating performance range: stable to 76°C for warm climates and flexible to -22°C for cold climates. This positions it as a reliable and go-anywhere performer for demanding road construction applications.
How Polymer Modification Improves Performance?
The key to PG 76-22’s superior quality is in its polymer composition, most commonly Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS). The additive makes the binder more elastic, flexible, and resistant to aging, so the asphalt can withstand environmental and mechanical stress without premature failure.
Unlike conventional binders, polymer-modified bitumen is resistant to rutting, cracking, and thermal fatigue, which makes it ideal for applications with high temperature differences or roads with heavy traffic.
Benefits of Utilizing PG 76-22
Outstanding durability: withstands mechanical and thermal stress for long durations, enabling low-maintenance costs.
High-Temperature Stability: maintains form and function even under extreme summer temperatures, preventing softening and deformation.
Cold-Weather Flexibility: withstands low-temperature cracking and thermal contraction.
Improved Adhesion to Aggregates: forms a stable, strong asphalt mix with reduced risk of stripping or delamination.
Optimized Workability: enables smoother mixing and application due to viscosity control.
Typical Applications
Due to its high-performance characteristics, PG 76-22 finds widespread use in the following:
- Heavy load and high-speed traffic highways and expressways
- Bus lanes and city street intersections
- Airport runways where structural strength and durability are paramount
- Bridge decks and industrial sections requiring crack-resistant and flexible binders
- Maintenance overlays and surface rehabilitation for paving the way to longer life in existing pavements
Workability and Performance Testing
PG 76-22 has excellent viscosity properties that increase ease of handling during production and laying. It is excellent to apply in Superpave test procedures, including rut resistance, fatigue life, and low-temperature crack resistance.
It also meets or surpasses international standards, like AASHTO M320, to achieve reliable, consistent performance regardless of geographies and project requirements.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
From a sustainability perspective, PG 76-22 prefers more durable pavements in the long run, and therefore less repair and less waste. Its durability reduces the need for repeated resurfacing, and hence it becomes a cost-effective and sustainable choice over the life of the road. It also promotes recycling efforts through improved compatibility of recycled asphalt with mixtures.
