Analysis of the Use of Euphorbia tirucalli Sap in the Composition of an Asphalt Bio-emulsion

Abstract

Abstract The reduction in the availability of materials traditionally used in paving, especially the asphalt binder, requires the development of innovative technologies that allow their total or partial replacement in road construction. This work aims to analyze the development and performance of an asphalt bio-emulsion to be used in chip seals, using a bio-binder partially replaced by petroleum plant sap. For this, a two-stage experimental program was developed. The first stage consisted of sap extraction and manufacture of the bio-binder and bio-emulsion, whereas the second phase involved the rheological characterization of these materials in the dynamic shear rheometer and adhesion tests with the binder bond strength (BBS) test. The results indicated that the addition of sap and the emulsification process of the binder reduced its stiffness and increased its phase angle. In terms of the multiple stress creep recovery test, the addition of sap generated changes only at low frequencies, causing the materials to exhibit similar behaviors. The BBS test shows that the material has a better performance than the conventional one. Therefore, according to the rheological analyses following the emulsion performance grade and adhesion tests, the suitability of the bio-emulsion can be verified for paving services with chip seals.