Method for producing pelletized pavement marking mixtures

Abstract

A method for producing a pelletized pavement marking mixture includes selecting an appropriate thermoplastic binder that is a solid at ambient temperatures and heating the appropriate thermoplastic binder in a reaction vessel to a temperature sufficient to form a liquid thermoplastic binder; forming a heated pavement marking mixture by adding a plasticizer and a filler to the liquid thermoplastic binder in the reaction vessel; forming a substantially homogeneous pavement marking mixture by blending the heated pavement marking mixture for period sufficient to substantially evenly distribute the plasticizer and the filler within the liquid thermoplastic resin while maintaining the heated pavement mixture at an elevated temperature; extruding the substantially homogeneous pavement marking mixture from the reaction vessel to form an extruded substantially homogeneous pavement marking mixture; and pelletizing the extruded substantially homogeneous pavement marking mixture. A pavement marking mixture consists of a substantially homogeneous mixture of pellets. Each of the pellets in the pavement marking mixture consists of a substantially homogeneous blend of a thermoplastic binder, a plasticizer, and a filler. The method for making a pelletized pavement marking mixture can be extended by adding a pigment and retroreflective particles to the heated pavement marking mixture.