DEGAROUTE(®) FOR COLD PLASTIC ROAD MARKINGS

January 19, 2024

Effective road markings play a pivotal role in ensuring road safety, providing guidance for traffic, and facilitating seamless interactions among diverse road users. The evolving landscape of road safety demands advanced scientific approaches and strategies in the development and formulation of road markings that enhance usability without compromising environmental sustainability.

Component of Road Marking Materials

Road marking materials are formulations consisting of binders, fillers, pigments, and additives. Modern road marking systems also comprise glass beads to ensure wet-night visibility. There are many decisive factors for defining the right formulation, among others traffic flow, road surface, climatic conditions, and traffic load.

The choice of resin as a binding agent is important for the application characteristics of the road marking material and the durability of the final road marking system under traffic wear.

The main binder-based road marking systems in use today are:

Solvent-based paints of high solids content that are sprayed on and dry physically by evaporation of the solvent (emission of VOC); only thin layers (< 1mm) are feasible
Water-based paints that are sprayed on and dry physically by evaporation of the water and a small solvent and ammonia component (almost no VOC emission); only thin layers (< 1mm) are feasible
Thermoplastics that, after being heated to 200 to 220 °C (390 to 430 °F) are sprayed on or extruded as a melt, and cured by solidification (VOC free); thin and thick layers feasible
Cold plastics that, mixed with a curing component (hardener), are sprayed on or extruded at ambient temperatures and cured chemically by polymerization (almost no VOC emission); thin and thick layers feasible.

Get to know about Cold Plastics and Degaroute

Cold plastics are reactive two- or multi-component systems formulated with DEGAROUTE® binders based on MMA and brought to polymerization by adding a curing component before application. The system cures chemically after a certain lapse of time (pot life) when the volatile resin components are chemically bound in the resulting inert polymer.

DEGAROUTE® as a binding agent for cold plastic road markings makes all the difference, especially compared to traditional road markings. The benefits at a glance:

Durable and resistant against abrasion, heavy traffic loads, and winter services
Visual, acoustic, and haptic guidance, even in rain, snow, and darkness
Wide processing window (-10 °C/14 °F to +60 °C/140 °F), special solutions for high and low temperatures
Easy to apply in any shape, color, and area size
Rapid application with short curing times, minimal road closure
No heat is required, providing greater safety to applicators
Multiple renewals of retro reflection properties, adding a thin layer of cold spray plastic and glass beads onto the old cold plastic road markings
Anti-dirt pick-up effect for clearly visible road markings
Resource efficient and environmentally friendly with almost no VOC emissions

Conlusion

DEGAROUTE® emerges as a superior choice for cold plastic road markings, offering a range of benefits such as durability, resistance to abrasion and heavy traffic loads, and versatility in diverse weather conditions. Utilizing MMA-based binders, DEGAROUTE® features a chemically cured two-component system, ensuring the formation of a durable and inert polymer with almost no VOC emissions. Its operational flexibility in a wide temperature range, rapid application, and environmentally friendly profile make it an innovative solution.

Maha Asia is an official distributor of Röhm’s DEGAROUTE®, contact our team of professionals for more information.