STP ShaliMulsion A/C/P
Cold-applied anionic, cationic and polymer-modified bitumen emulsions in rapid, medium and slow-setting grades — for tack coats, surface dressing, slurry seals and cold-mix road work without a boiler or hot-mix plant.
What is it?
A family of bitumen-in-water emulsions from STP Limited in three chemistries — anionic (A), cationic (C) and polymer-modified (P) — each offered in rapid, medium and slow-setting grades to IS 3117, IS 8887 and EN test methods.
Where is it used?
Tack coats, prime coats, surface dressing and chip seals, slurry surfacing, fog seals, cold-mix asphalt, pothole patching, dust palliation and soil stabilisation on roads of every class.
Why use it?
It goes down cold at ambient temperature, so there is no boiler, no hot-mix plant, no fuel bill for heating and no fire hazard — and work continues through most weather windows.
How is it applied?
Sprayed or brushed onto a clean, lightly dampened surface; slow-setting grades can be diluted up to 50% with water for prime coats, fog seals and dust control.
About STP ShaliMulsion A/C/P
ShaliMulsion is STP Limited’s range of cold-applied bituminous emulsions for road construction and maintenance. The anionic version (A) carries a negative particle charge and coats electropositive aggregates such as limestone and marble, performing best in warm, dry conditions. The cationic version (C), built to IS 8887, is the workhorse of the range — its positive charge lets it grip almost every mineral aggregate found on Indian sites, wet or dry, in practically any weather. The polymer-modified version (P) adds elastic recovery and a higher softening point where traffic loading demands a tougher binder.
Each chemistry comes in rapid, medium and slow-setting grades, so one product family covers everything from a fast-breaking tack coat to a stable slurry-seal binder. Space Arc Engineering supplies the full range in drums and tanker loads across Delhi NCR and pan-India, and helps contractors match grade to aggregate, climate and application before material reaches site.
The technical insight
An emulsion keeps bitumen droplets suspended in water by giving each droplet an electrical charge from the emulsifier; like charges repel, so the droplets cannot merge in the drum. On contact with aggregate or a road surface, that charge is neutralised — the emulsion “breaks”, water separates and evaporates, and the droplets coalesce into a continuous black binder film. Setting speed is governed by emulsifier chemistry: RS grades break almost on contact for tack coats and chip seals, MS grades stay workable for minutes so coarse premix can be mixed and laid, and SS grades remain stable long enough to blend with fine, dense-graded aggregate. Polymer modification in ShaliMulsion P leaves a residue with at least 30% elastic recovery, so the cured binder flexes and recovers under wheel loads instead of rutting.
Where it is used
- Tack coats between bituminous courses ahead of overlays and new wearing courses (rapid-setting grades)
- Prime coats and sealing of formations and sub-bases using diluted slow-setting grades
- Surface dressing and aggregate (chip) seals — the single largest use of the range
- Slurry surfacing and micro-surfacing with fine dense-graded aggregate (slow-setting grades)
- Fog seals and dust palliatives, with SS grades diluted up to 50% with water
- Cold Mix Asphalt (CMA) and premix work using medium-setting grades
- Pothole and road-surface patching on maintenance contracts
- Soil stabilisation and lean-mix curing (ShaliMulsion A)
Key advantages
- Applied cold at ambient temperature — no boiler, hot-mix plant or heating equipment on site
- Saves the fuel and labour cost of heating bitumen and removes the fire and burn hazard
- Nine chemistry-and-grade combinations let the emulsion be matched to aggregate type and task
- Cationic grades bond to almost all mineral aggregates, including damp stone
- Work continues in most weather, including light rain — only frost and heavy downpour stop application
- Retains fluidity until penetration is complete, so excess bitumen never weakens the binder film
- Polymer-modified grade gives ≥30% elastic recovery and ≥90% adhesiveness for heavily trafficked seals
- Non-toxic and pollution-free compared with hot-applied or cutback bitumen
Limitations & considerations
- Cannot be applied during frost or heavy rainfall, and must never be heated to accelerate breaking
- Storage window is strict — sealed containers, under cover, between 5°C and 35°C, protected from frost
- Different ShaliMulsion types must never be mixed; blending anionic and cationic material coagulates both
- No brushing, foot traffic or vehicles until the emulsion has broken and the surface has turned black
- Drums must be rolled and the contents stirred before drawing material, and settlement limits very long storage
- Anionic grades suit only electropositive aggregates such as limestone — the wrong pairing gives poor adhesion
Selection & best practice
Sweep the surface free of dust and loose aggregate, then dampen it lightly with clean water just before spraying — a slightly moist substrate improves penetration and bond. Roll each drum on the ground and stir the contents with a rod before drawing emulsion, and reseal the lid immediately after. Wash brushes and sprayers with water before and after use so residue never breaks on the equipment. Once applied, leave the film alone: no brushing and no foot or vehicle traffic until it turns uniformly black. If rain arrives before the emulsion sets, spread the cover aggregate, let the surface dry, then roll and open to traffic. Choose the grade deliberately — RS for tack coats and chip seals, MS for premix, SS (diluted as needed) for prime coats, slurry and fog seals.
Specifications
| Product types | Anionic (A), cationic (C) and polymer-modified (P) bitumen-in-water emulsions |
| Setting grades | Rapid (RS), Medium (MS), Slow Setting (SS); cationic range graded RS-1, RS-2, MS, SS-1, SS-2 |
| Standards | IS 8887:2004 (ShaliMulsion C), IS 3117:2004 (ShaliMulsion A), ASTM D2397; EN-tested polymer grade |
| Bitumen / binder content | A: min 65% (RS/MS), 57% (SS); C: 50–67% residue by grade; P: 58–67% binder |
| Viscosity, Saybolt Furol at 25°C | 20–100 SFS (ShaliMulsion A, all grades) |
| Particle charge | A: negative; C and P: positive |
| Set to touch (ShaliMulsion A, 21°C) | 15–20 minutes (RS); 35–45 minutes (MS) |
| Dilution | SS grades dilutable up to 50% with clean water for prime coats, fog seals and dust control |
| Packing and storage | 200 kg HMHDPE / mild-steel drums or bulk tankers; store sealed at 5–35°C, protected from frost |
Industry use cases
Highways & Expressways
Rapid-setting tack coats between binder and wearing courses on widening and overlay packages, with the polymer grade specified where heavy commercial traffic demands an elastic binder.
Municipal & PWD Road Maintenance
Pothole patching, premix repairs and surface-dressing renewals executed without hot-mix logistics — material goes down cold straight from the drum.
Rural Road Programmes
Chip seals and surface dressing on low-volume roads where mobilising a hot-mix plant is uneconomical and cold application keeps small packages viable.
Mining & Industrial Estates
Diluted slow-setting grades as fog seals and dust palliatives on haul roads and internal estate roads, plus soil stabilisation with the anionic grade.
Sub-base & Formation Works
Sealing of formations and sub-bases and lean-mix curing ahead of paving, protecting prepared layers from moisture loss and early damage.
Frequently asked questions
Should I order the anionic or the cationic version?
Which grade is right for a tack coat?
Does the road surface need to be bone dry?
Can I dilute the emulsion to stretch coverage?
When can traffic be allowed back on?
What pack sizes does Space Arc supply?
How we position STP ShaliMulsion A/C/P
ShaliMulsion sits in STP’s road-surfacing line, and the sensible companions come from the same family: ShaliTex Primer where a bituminous primer is needed under mastic or membrane work, Shalimastic HD for bituminous mastic protection, and STP’s Tarfelt membranes where the job extends to deck or podium waterproofing. The Fosroc, Sika and Dr. Fixit portfolios we distribute do not include IS 8887 road-grade emulsions, so there is no direct substitute — but for building-side bituminous coatings and damp-proofing, our team can propose equivalents from those ranges on request.
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