Kokosing Goes All in with Evotherm WMA

BY PATTY JAZWIECKI

Earlier this year, the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) unveiled The Road Forward initiative, which encourages and pushes the industry to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Some saw this program as a mountain to climb, while others saw it as an opportunity to improve and enhance their asphalt mix designs to create a more sustainable, longer-lasting product.

One company that saw opportunity was Kokosing Materials Inc. (KMI), an asphalt producer headquartered in Ohio. KMI saw The Road Forward as the perfect way to improve its asphalt mix design and further its own sustainability goals. Already a leader in the industry when it comes to sustainability, reaching allowed recycling limits and incorporating odor/emission-reducing products as shown in the 2019 article “Kokosing Materials Inc. is a Good Neighbor,” KMI took the step of going 100% warm-mix asphalt (WMA) at its 18 plants in Ohio using Evotherm® WMA technology from Ingevity, North Charleston, South Carolina.

Evotherm’s unique chemistry is designed to allow asphalt application at a temperature that is 50-90°F lower than traditional hot-mix asphalt. By lowering temperatures at its plants, KMI is poised to reduce carbon emissions, lower its overall costs, and further eliminate fumes and blue smoke at its job sites. As an added benefit for KMI, incorporating Evotherm into its mix has been shown to produce a better binder quality, creating a more workable mix and a better pavement design.

“Ingevity’s Evotherm technology will provide numerous benefits at our locations and paving projects throughout Ohio,” Lee Schloss, president of KMI, said. “Using Evotherm will allow us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, provide several asphalt mix benefits, and reduce our overall carbon footprint. Additionally, we can pave in colder weather, which will extend our paving season for the Department of Transportation and our private customers.”

BENEFITS OF WMA

For years, industry leaders have been using more WMA. The benefits of WMA technologies like Evotherm go beyond simply reducing carbon emissions. Lowering production temperatures also creates a fume-free work environment for crews and surrounding businesses. By eliminating blue smoke, producers can improve employee retention by demonstrating a commitment to their health and wellness.

Additionally, Evotherm WMA has been shown to improve compaction and extend the life of the road by up to 30%. This increased longevity provides state DOTs with savings that can be used on additional paving projects, creating additional work for asphalt producers. Using a WMA like Evotherm also extends the paving season well into the colder months, allows for long-distance hauling and reduces fuel consumption.

“Ingevity’s portfolio of paving products is designed with sustainability in mind,” Andrew Crow, vice president of Ingevity’s Pavement Technologies, said. “Incorporating Evotherm into a mix design and lowering the temperatures is an easy way to meet new industry standards and government regulations. We are seeing an increase in the number of states that are requesting producers to use WMA to increase the longevity of the road, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce costs. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like KMI and incorporating Evotherm into more mix designs will only strengthen the industry.”

A Kokosing Materials Inc paving crew uses warm-mix asphalt technology to pave with reduced temperatures, reduced fume in the field. Photo courtesy of KMI

WORKING TO EXCEED INDUSTRY STANDARDS

Recently, Ingevity published an environmental product declaration (EPD) for its Evotherm M1 formulation and became the first chemical additive supplier to be included in NAPA’s Emerald Eco-Label tool. The tool is a web-based software program that allows asphalt mix producers to develop verified plant-specific and mix-specific EPDs that quantify the environmental impacts of the asphalt mixes, helping asphalt producers assist their customers in meeting their environmental goals. Integrating Ingevity’s EPD for Evotherm M1 into the Emerald Eco-Label tool provides upstream data for asphalt mixes that contain Evotherm M1.

Ultimately, the goal for the industry is to engage more companies like KMI and encourage them to make the switch to WMA. The use of WMA additive products like Evotherm will be critical as the industry strives to meet The Road Forward goals that NAPA outlined at the beginning of the year.

Patty Jazwiecki is the senior marketing communications manager for Ingevity, North Charleston, South Carolina. For more information, contact her at (301) 801-7000 or visit https://www.ingevity.com/ featured-products/evotherm/