Patent ID: 7772302

Claim:
An asphalt-aggregate composition comprising: an asphalt binder; solid granulated aggregate; and a granulated plastic additive produced by a process comprising (a) contacting said pieces of shredded scrap plastic with an aqueous liquid at a temperature exceeding 75° C. to kill any microorganisms present on said pieces and to remove any contaminants from said pieces, (b) heating said pieces of shredded scrap plastic thus decontaminated to a temperature exceeding 100° C. for a sufficient period of time to cause size reduction of said pieces of shredded scrap plastic and to harden said pieces of shredded scrap plastic to grindable form without generating gaseous decomposition products, (c) cooling said size-reduced and hardened pieces to a temperature below 50° C., and (d) comminuting said cooled pieces to sizes small enough to pass through a screen with 12.5 mm openings.