Our past and present

mission

The asphalt industry has searched for years to find ways to extend the life of asphalt pavement. New mix designs significantly improve the performance but are still subject to the ravages of water and U.V. Asphalt is an excellent paving product but has significant environmental weaknesses that give it a limited lifespan. There are serious environmental issues with the heat produced by asphalt that has a negative impact on the Urban Heat Index. Due to its black color, asphalt absorbs heat from the sun and retains it for long periods. This causes a significant increase in the heat index in the surrounding urban areas and contributes to global warming.

In their search to extend the life of asphalt pavement, the industry has been forced to use topical sealers that are temporary at best, and are mostly for cosmetic purposes. Some of these sealers are highly toxic and are on the way to being banned. Therefore the asphalt Industry is in need of the following:

1. A durable wearing surface that is unaffected by U.V., water, automotive fluids, oil, diesel, and gas that protects and extends the life of asphalt pavement.
2. A paving material that is cost effective that will significantly reduce maintenance costs
3. A paving material that will eliminate the need for toxic and temporary sealing materials
4. An environmentally safe product that has high solar reflectance numbers that does not retain heat.
5. A paving material unrelated to the oil industry that will not be influenced by price or availability
6. A paving material that enhances the competitiveness of asphalt with concrete .
   

PolyCon’s PCMO_TM accomplishes all of these needs and gives a 10 year warranty.

history

PolyCon was founded in 1996 to manufacture E-Krete_TM, an ultra- thin polymer based composite for the overlay of asphalt. In 1998 we entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers in Vicksburg, MS to test and evaluate the use of E-Krete_TM as a fuel resistant pavement overlay. A two year study was performed on eleven military bases across the country, and a comprehensive report of the study was published in 2000. The report is available from PolyCon. As a result of this study, E-Krete_TM was approved as the material used on the parking ramps for the B-1 Bomber at McConnell AFB.

In 2000, we were approved by the Federal Aviation Authority and issued EB-62, an engineering brief that allowed the material to be used on airports. Since that time we have applied E-Krete_TM on millions of square feet of airports in MS, AL, TX, FL, KS, MD,CA, and Venezuela. We were approved by NASA in 1998, and have completed projects for them in Wallops Island, GA and Houston, TX. In April 2008 we supplied E-Krete_TM for a 1.3 million square foot NASA airport project in San Jose, CA. We are approved by State Departments of Transportation in MS, TX, TN, FL, and AL. The material has been used on Interstate bridges to return the coefficient of friction to bridge decks.

In 2004, we introduced a polymer based non-skid material to the marine industry as a durable, U.V. proof, non-skid micro-overlay, for heli-decks, walkways, dry-docks, and work decks. Since that time, we have applied our non-skid product, Skid-Pro_TM, on off-shore heli-decks for the Rowan Companies, Bender Shipbuilding, Seacor Corp., DMT Corp, Central of Mexico, and numerous other marine companies. We offer a 10 year warranty which is unprecedented in the marine coatings industry, and due to the fact that it is impervious to all of the elements, it has an estimated 20 year lifespan. We are currently involved in an 18 month test process by the U.S. Navy for approval as a non-skid for naval vessels. The U.S. Navy is aggressively seeking a durable non-skid, and due to our ability to overcome the U.V. problem, we feel we can achieve that goal.

In February 2008 we were invited by the National Asphalt Pavement Association to apply our product on the test area at N.C.A.T. the highly respected testing facility for asphalt, in Auburn, AL. Their interest is to have a material that has good solar reflectivity that can reduce the heat absorbed and stored in asphalt. This problem contributes significantly to the UHI (urban heat index) which in turn contributes to global warming. The PCMO_TM has .38 SRI rating. N.C.A.T. will deliver a technical paper on the E-Krete_TM PCMO_TM at the TRB in Washington D.C. in January 2009.

 Now E-Krete_TM is less expensive than the 2 inch asphalt wearing surface, lasts four times longer, eliminates the milling process, and is environmentally friendly. The E-Krete_TM PCMO_TM can be applied directly over old, stable, chip seal and will eliminate the loose rock problem and add 25 years to the road. E-Krete_TM is less expensive than chip seal or micro-surfacing. Due to the lack of any v.o.c.’s in the formula, the Environmental Protection Agency selected Polycon as a partnered company. In northern climates, water from snowmelt and rainfall severely affects asphalt. Water, snow melt, rainfall, and automotive fuels, have no effect on E-Krete_TM, and, for the first time, the life of an asphalt wearing surface will last in excess of 20 years. On new asphalt, E-Krete_TM can be placed directly over the base course as a durable wearing surface. On old oxidized asphalt, it can salvage the remaining asphalt and add many years to its useful lifespan. Cracks up to 1 inch wide do not have to be pre-filled because the E-Krete_TM PCMO_TM automatically fills the cracks.

Our original goal was to revolutionize the way asphalt is maintained, and to change the attitude that treats asphalt as a consumable. As the demand rises in developing countries, the availability of petroleum based products will decrease. Now for the first time asphalt can be treated as a long term asset.

We at PolyCon believe that, without a doubt, E-Krete_TM is "An Idea Whose Time Has Come."

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