There is a ton of confusion when it comes to DOT-approved asphalt release agents and state DOT-qualified product lists (QPLs). Terms like “release agent” and “DOT-approved” are often used as umbrella terms for any product that cleans asphalt and any legal product, respectively. However, confusing these terms can get you into some serious hot water with your state DOT, as well as waste money out of your pocket that you used to purchase a product that doesn’t work the way you want it to.
The purpose of this short article is to go over some of these terms, help explain when you need a DOT-approved release agent, and touch on how to find the product that you need.
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Because diesel fuel has been the gold standard for “release agents” in the past, the term has been thrown around to mean a product that both cleans and prevents build-up, as diesel fuel does. But in terms of products on the market like PavePro, the phrase “asphalt release agent” only refers to products that prevent asphalt build-up from occurring. Release agents are not designed to dissolve and remove asphalt; that would be a solvent or remover.
Let’s look at the PavePro product line to see how this works in the real world:
Asphalt Release Agents: PavePro Blue is a DOT-approved release agent that is used to prevent asphalt build-up. Because it was designed to be added straight into water spray-down systems and helps water adhere to truck beds or rollers, PavePro Blue is better suited for preventing build-up than it is for cleaning it.
Asphalt Solvents and Removers: PavePro Gold is intended for the heaviest of asphalt build-ups. It is specifically formulated as a cleaner to penetrate into hardened asphalt and crystallized tack. Its flash point isn’t as high as PavePro Green, so it doesn’t last as long when used as a release agent.
Diesel Fuel Alternatives–Release Agents and Solvents : PavePro Green is the industry-leading diesel fuel alternative that is used as both an asphalt release agent and asphalt solvent. It has a flash point well above 400°F, so it lasts 3-4x longer than diesel fuel as a release agent; and has a higher KB value than diesel fuel, so it cleans better too. PavePro does not contain any petroleum, so it is 100% legal to be used as an asphalt solvent and is legal in most states as a release agent as well.
On the note of legality, there is often some confusion about why diesel fuel is illegal to be used as an asphalt solvent or release agent. Some people still claim that it isn’t illegal, so let’s break down the WHY behind these controversial rules.
There are two ways that diesel fuel is banned from being used as a release agent or asphalt solvent in paving and hauling:
1) Laws from the US Government that PROHIBIT the discharge of petroleum-based products; and,
2) DOT rules that ban the use of diesel fuel and other petroleum-based products in asphalt paving operations
It is federally illegal to discharge petroleum-based products into the environment: Now, I am going to be straight-up honest with you here. Most people don’t care about this part. It is very important, but given the nature of our industry, the last thing people are worried about is a little bit of pollution. Regardless, three federal acts from the US government prohibit the discharge of something like diesel fuel, whether on purpose or accidentally. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990, The Clean Water Act of 1972, and The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act all forbid the use of diesel fuel as an asphalt release agent because it is a form of petroleum. These acts impose fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars if a contractor is found in violation of them. You can learn more about these laws here .
Every single DOT in the United States has BANNED the use of petroleum-based products as release agents in paving operations: There is one very simple reason that every DOT has agreed to do this: it destroys the integrity of the asphalt. The Department of Transportation cares about transportation. The environment isn’t their jurisdiction or their biggest worry. They just want to make sure that the asphalt being laid on their roads is of the utmost quality and won’t disintegrate over time like diesel fuel will cause it to do.
DID YOU KNOW: When diesel fuel is used as a release agent, it can cut through a freshly laid mat and separate the oil from the aggregate in the pavement for up to 3 months.
To combat this from happening, every DOT in the nation has banned the use of petroleum-based asphalt release agents, including diesel fuel, and many states have even created a list of qualified products that must be used.
Tired of your good-for-nothing asphalt remover or release agent and ready to make a switch?