Asphalt tarp material

Compiled by Juli Case

What’s the best type of material to use to make an asphalt tarp?

The fabric you use is generally a matter of preference. We’ve seen cotton, vinyl coated and the polyolefins (polypropylene or polyethylene) being used for this application. Asphalt is, of course, delivered hot. The advantage to cotton is that it doesn’t melt and that the asphalt doesn’t stick to it. The disadvantage is that cotton can be affected by the elements and can be heavy. Vinyl materials offer better environmental protection, but the asphalt can stick to it. Using a topcoating such as silicon may alleviate the sticking issue. The polyolefins are fairly inert material, but generally speaking, have a lower melting point than vinyl.

Juli Case is IFAI‘s information and technical services manager.