Can IntegraBase be used with any bitumen?
Yes. The amount of IntegraBase reaction is dependent on the orgin of the bitumen. The reaction of IntegraBase with different bitumens is fairly constant – the main difference being the quantity of catalyst required to drive the reaction. The apparent difference is the quantity of catalyst lost in other secondary reactions; this is the sole reason that it is recommended that at least 2% modifer by weight of bitumen be used. The variable which determines how reactive IntegraBase is with the asphalt is the percentage of tetralin structures contained in the asphalt. All asphalts have tetralin structures, but to varying quantities. The more tetralin in the asphalt, the better the reaction. Napthenic and aromatic asphalts tend to have the highest quantities of tetralin structures – these asphalts are commonly found in the middle east and Venezuela regions. China and Russia tend to have asphalts with the lowest percentage of tetralin structures.
