Pavement marking materials and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340934-B2
Application number	US-201214234230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2012
Priority date	Sep 1, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

The thermoplastic pavements markers and pavement marking compositions of the present application include a miscible blend of ethylene acrylic acid polymers and have a crystallization onset temperature observed upon cooling of greater than 65.6° C. (150° F.).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoplastic pavement marking composition, comprising:
a miscible blend of ethylene acrylic acid polymers including
a first ethylene acrylic acid polymer having a number average molecular weight between about 1.0×10 4 grams per mole and about 1.0×10 5 grams per mole; and
a second ethylene acrylic acid polymer having a number average molecular weight between about 1500 grams per mole and about 5000 grams per mole;

wherein the crystallization onset temperature observed upon cooling of the thermoplastic pavement marking composition is greater than 65.6° C. (150° F.).

2. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , further including white ceramic microspheres.

3. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , further including up to about 85 weight percent white ceramic microspheres
wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

4. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , including between about 1.5 wt % and about 55 wt % weight percent first ethylene acrylic acid polymer
wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

5. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , including between about 5 wt % and about 72 wt % second ethylene acrylic acid polymer
wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

6. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , further including 0.1 to 10 weight percent TiO 2
wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

7. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , further comprising optical components.

8. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , wherein the first ethylene acrylic acid polymer has an acid content between about 3% and about 20%.

9. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , wherein the second ethylene acrylic acid polymer has an acid content between about 5% and about 15%.

10. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 , further including acrylic polymers and copolymers, olefin polymers and copolymers, olefin block copolymers, thermoplastic urethane polymers and copolymers, ester polymers and copolymers, polyamide polymers and copolymers, and blends thereof.

11. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 having a flow according to AASHTO T-250-5 of less than 28 percent residue.

12. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 having a temperature at which 1% weight loss occurs as measured by thermogravimetric analysis of greater than 230° C.

13. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 1 having a whiteness index as measured by ASTM E313 of greater than 60 after 4 hours of heating at 425 degrees F.

14. A thermoplastic pavement marking composition, comprising:
a miscible blend of ethylene acrylic acid polymers including
a first ethylene acrylic acid polymer having an acid content between about 3% and about 20% and having a number average molecular weight between about 1.0×10 4 grams per mole and about 1.0×10 5 grams per mole
a second ethylene acrylic acid polymer having an acid content between about 5% and about 15%

wherein the crystallization onset temperature observed upon cooling of the thermoplastic pavement marking composition is greater than 65.6° C. (150° F.).

15. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , further including white ceramic microspheres.

16. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , further including up to 85 wt % white ceramic microspheres wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

17. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , including between about 1.5 wt % and about 55 wt % first ethylene acrylic acid polymer wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

18. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , including between about 5 wt % and about 72 wt % second ethylene acrylic acid polymer wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

19. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , further including 0.1 to 10 weight percent TiO 2 wherein the weight percent is of the entire thermoplastic pavement marking composition.

20. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , further comprising optical components.

21. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , wherein the second ethylene acrylic acid polymer has a number average molecular weight between about 1500 grams per mole and about 5000 grams per mole.

22. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 in the form of a hot melt extrusion roadway marking, a hot melt spray roadway marking, a hot melt hand-applied roadway marking, a preformed extruded roadway marking, an extruded roadway marking, a pavement marking tape, a pavement marking paint.

23. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 having a flow according to AASHTO T-250-5 of less than 28 percent residue.

24. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 having a temperature at which 1% weight loss occurs as measured by thermogravimetric analysis of greater than 230° C.

25. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 having a whiteness index as measured by ASTM E313 of greater than 60 after 4 hours of heating at 425 degrees F.

26. The thermoplastic pavement marking composition of claim 14 , further including acrylic polymers and copolymers, olefin polymers and copolymers, olefin block copolymers, thermoplastic urethane polymers and copolymers, ester polymers and copolymers, polyamide polymers and copolymers, and blends thereof.

27. A method of forming a pavement marking, comprising:
heating the thermoplastic pavement marking of claim 1 ; and
applying the resulting homogenous mixture to a roadway.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
applying optical components to the roadway.

Assignees

• Carlson Eugen H
• Kugel Alexander J
• Wilding Matthew D
• Percha Pamela A
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Carlson Eugen H
• Kugel Alexander J
• Wilding Matthew D
• Percha Pamela A

Classifications

• C09D123/0869

  Acids or derivatives thereof · CPC title

• E01F9/042

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• C08K3/40

  Glass · CPC title

• C08K3/36

  Silica · CPC title

• C08L23/0869

  with unsaturated acids, e.g. [meth]acrylic acid; with unsaturated esters, e.g. [meth]acrylic acid esters · CPC title