Patent ID: 7393449

Claim:
A binder useful to produce an environmentally acceptable clay pigeon, which does not have reportable amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, comprising approximately 60 to about 75% wt., pulverized limestone or other suitable filler and the remainder comprising a thermoplastic frangible pitch material containing low concentrations of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons comprising: (i) a petroleum pitch having a softening point of at least about 100° C. and (ii) an asphalt fraction having a softening point ranging from about 70° to about 160° C., wherein the asphalt fraction is produced by distillation or solvent extraction of asphalt containing petroleum crude oil, and optionally, up to about 50% of a solvent or cut back oil, and wherein the asphalt fractioni has a specific gravity ranging from about 0.90 to about 1.10: whereby the resultant frangible pitch material has a softening point in the range of about 100° C. to about 130° C., a total identified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in the range of about 5000 mg/kg or less, and is an amorphous solid at room temperature.