Sustainability
Life Cycle Analysis
Environmental profile
RheoFalt HP-AM is a completely natural product made from the oil of cashew nutshells and processed from raw CNSL into an aromatic resin with a molecular weight that fits in the maltene fraction of bitumen. No residue remains after this process. RheoFalt HP-AM is listed as a permitted building material on the Dutch Approved Materials for Asphalt Applications (NCOB) list for hot mixes. (based on BRL 9320, environmental effect norms).
Life Cycle Analysis
RheoFalt HP-AM ensures that aged bitumen with an increased asphaltenes content (polar effect of asphaltenes over time) is again improved to a new value. RheoFalt HP-AM does not do this by reducing the content of asphaltenes, but by isolating the polar effect. This makes both aged bitumen 100% reusable, which as well as the current bitumen (which contain higher asphaltene contents by cracking and hydrogenating) can be used without disturbing the colloidal equilibrium. RheoFalt PB is a mix of RheoFalt HP-AM and a maltene resin for the use of bitumen for polymer additives. This actually reduces the asphaltene content and increases the maltene content, which is needed to dissolve polymers.
In Life Cycle Analyses calculations, one looks at the life cycle of a product from raw material extraction to the disposal phase after use . Because RheoFalt HP-AM makes it possible to reuse old asphalt multiple life cycles, time and again the LCA is, as it were, infinite.
An average Environmental Cost Indexing value, calculated according to the Dutch ECO CHAIN ​principles, provides an ECI value of €4.51 for 50% recycling. The calculation on 100% recycling with the use of RheoFalt HP_AM (0.3% addition) shows an ECI of €2.83.
The impact on the ECI of RheoFalt HP-AM as product amounts to -/- €0.12 per 0.1% addition per ton of asphalt. The calculated asphalt mix with 100% recycling and 0.3% addition of RheoFalt HP-AM thus has the lowest Environmental Cost Indicator of a range of calculated mixtures with 0-30-50-70 and 100% recycling.
See the following table:
| Adding RAP percentage in asphalt | ECI costs |
| 0% | €6.56 in 1mt of asphalt produced & processed. |
| 30% | €5.41 |
| 50% | €4.51 |
| 70% | €3.58 |
| 100% (with RheoFalt HP-AM 0.3%) | €3.58 |
Naturally, this depends on the energy consumption per asphalt plant and must be specified by the asphalt plant itself and be recalculated for use.
Bio based and circularity
Because of the origin from the cashew peelings and the non-addition of other products, RheoFalt HP-AM is completely bio-based.
When RheoFalt PB is used for modified bitumin, about half of it is based on bio-based material. The maltene resin is about 50% of the product and is of synthetic origin.
Because of the ability to reduce obsolete bitumen to new value, RheoFalt HP-AM is able to make asphalt completely circular up to 100% reusability without loss of properties.
CO2 profile
Compared to 50% recycling, the 100% recycling mix with 0.3% RheoFalt HP-AM per mt processed and produced asphalt from 47.41kg CO2 to 34.06kg CO2. The contribution of RheoFalt HP-AM has been calculated at 2.71kg CO2 because of production, storage and dosing. Per 0.1% dosage (depending on the penetration increase requirement) this is 0.9kg of CO2 consumption per MT of asphalt.
Functionality
RheoFalt HP-AM increases the penetration whereby, according to the log-pen mix calculation, asphalt mixtures will fall into a better penetration rate at higher PR percentages. It lowers the stiffness of a mixture and increases the resistance to fatigue. (less susceptible to cold fracture).
RheoFalt HP-AM isolates the polar action of asphaltenes, thus extending the life span.
RheoFalt HP-AM improves the phase angle so in 3D elemental calculations less asphalt thickness is needed for constructions.
Because RheoFalt HP-AM effects flexibility, penetration is increased, healing factor, which is dependent on penetration and binder content to increase to the value of 4. Normally there is a bottom layer of 70% or more recycling around the grade 35. With an average of 0.3% RheoFalt HP-AM it can be pushed back to a penetration of 50 and the healing can be set to 4 instead of 2.77.