Will polymer replace asphalt?
How can I tell what I'm looking at?"It feels good to finally be in the limelight again, to have the absolute right models and technical solutions in place at the right time," said Jan Ake Jonsson, CEO of Saab.The small car company, which now seems posed for enduring profitability, lost money during the majority of years it's been owned partly or wholly by cm. The U.S. car giant bought a 50 percent stake and management control of Saab in 1989, then the remainder in December 1999. Why would you take a job such as the one of CEO at Saab after so many hard years?NaphthaleneBIOPOWER IN THE UNITED STATESNaphthalene is a common component in not only many carpet cleaning shampoos, but can also be found in moth balls and toilet bowl deodorizers. Naphthalene destroys the red blood cells ability to carry oxygen and also has been linked to liver and kidney damage. Common symptoms of overexposure to Naphthalene include: headaches, increased heart rate, convulsions, low urine output, yellowing of skin, and can even lead to coma.PolymerPaving.com markets accessory products that enhance the already good characteristics of the DirtGlue polymer exponentially. These accessory products allow DGp to cure faster, to be applied at lower temperatures, to tolerate high plasticity soils such a clays and silts much better, and to enhance overall bond strength. This is the only polymer soil stabilization company that has this new and superior technology.National Park Service, Colorado State University - Environmental Contaminants, Asphalt"Of our customers in Europe, 45% buy the car because it is environmentally friendly," he said. "35% buy it because of the economic incentives."How does polymer address the strength problem?Over the last two decades we have had summers so hot, that the temperature retained by asphalt is becoming newsworthy problem in larger metropolitan areas worldwide, especially with the elderly population.Jonsson believes Saab clients are progressive and modern and, most important, want to be responsible.Consumer interest in cleaner and greener auto technology is exploding, even in the United States. From fuel cells to plugin hybrids, the industry is showing more research and development zeal than at any time since the golden days of 1900, when gasoline, steam and electric vehicles (ev's) competed in the marketplace. This spring's car salon in Geneva, Switzerland was greener than ever, and one manufacturer dominated the headlines for its BioPower engines: Saab Cars of Sweden. These days wholly owned by gm, Saab introduced yet another BioPower model - the 9-3 production car - now available with a flex-fuel engine which runs on regular gas or gas with an 85% ethanol content. But the star and talk of the show, the car that became the favorite image for major European news media was the Saab 9-5 concept car, optimized to run on pure bioethanol (EIOO) fuel. Run with bioethanol, Saab turbocharged engines create a whopping 300 hp from its 2.0-liter engine, all with substantially reduced C02 emissions. Wherever you looked, BioPower and Saab's new concept car became the symbol for this year's wave of environmental concerns among consumers, politicians and automakers.Environmental issues of asphalt:Saab's production processes have had a productivity development of 5% to 15% per year, Jonsson said. "All of Saab's development, all of its cars are based on social responsibility; cars have always had to be secure and functional - today, also responsible in the environmental sense: Driving Saabs should make sense in every way. And yet, at Saab we have taken our concept one step further, making sporty, progressive design and performance part and parcel of the cars' looks and driving experience as well.""It's certainly not the financial benefits or the media exposure. It's just that it's really hard to say no to such an opportunity after so many years with the company," said Jonsson."Center for Disease Control (CDC) - Research on Asphalt ToxicityWhat is asphalt? (wiseGeek.com)It is refreshing that there are product alternatives that we can use to keep our carpets clean as well as keeping us and our environment safe along the way.Whatever you feel about which cleaner technology to use - the now oh-so-popular hybrids, diesel engines, biodiesel or what many consider the ultimate future: fuel cells - most of them do have a problem. They either, consume more energy and adversely affect the environment in the production process, or they are simply not available at the right price point. The technology behind BioPower is not necessarily smarter or better or less polluting in the long run, but it is here, now, at an affordable price (for you and the environment), not sometime in the future."We're in a transition period," Jonsson said. "And there are options available today to make a difference. We at Saab want to show that environmental cars don't have to be boring. They can be fun!"Another company that has a natural enzyme based line of cleaners is Natures Miracle. They offer a regular natural carpet shampoo, but their most recognizable line of cleaners are enzyme based cleaners designed to clean up and totally eliminate pet messes. Some of these enzyme cleaners are actually precleaners designed to clean up specific pet messes or eliminate odors. Although these products do contain fragrances which can sometimes contain their own line of toxins, their carpet shampoo is phosphate free.Polymer molecules are long, allowing a great level of elasticity without compromising road strength. Polymer will remain elastic for many, many years after asphalt starts to crack."There's no question we would have liked to be there now, not tomorrow, but this being said, we also have to look at realities; very few states offer you the opportunity to fill your car with the E85 fuel. As soon as we see the infrastructure and the availability of E85 taking off we will be ready. Realistically, this will probably take a couple of years."Polymer technology (advances in chemistry which allow us to make long strings of molecules) has gradually entered the paving industry, as it has into many other areas. The first to cross into the paving industry were companies which provided dispersible polymer for dust control.Heat Island Effect
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Author: Dan Banici
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