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Soy-based sealant preserves asphalt sustainably

The Center for Soy Innovation parking lot is well preserved. The lot was treated with a new soy-based sealant called RePlay, says Matt Amick, director of biofuels and new uses for Missouri Soybean.

“It’s 88 percent biobased, and when spray applied on the asphalt, it will penetrate the surface of the asphalt about an inch deep,” said Amick, “and will extend the life of that asphalt, sealing out any moisture that could penetrate the surface of the asphalt.”

RePlay’s sustainability is touted because it’s biobased, but it’s also sustainable because it extends the life of road surfaces, stretching county highway department budgets, according to Amick, adding that test applications will bear that out.

“We have applied it here at our office, we’ve applied it at the Bay Farm in Columbia, we’ve applied it at the Delta Center in southeast Missouri,” said Amick, “and we’re working on a pilot project with MoDot (the Missouri Department of Transportation) north of Columbia.”

Soy-based RePlay, says Amick, preserves roads, parking lots, and other asphalt surfaces with a single application every three to five years.