Application of waste biaxially oriented polypropylene sandwiched graphene to enhance properties of asphalt mixes via a wet process

Abstract

The global community is concerned about the environmental degradation caused by plastic waste, particularly Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) used in food packaging materials. Utilizing plastic in road construction can conserve energy, reduce pollution, and enhance the performance of asphalt mixes at high temperatures. Many research studies have inspected the impact of various types of plastic, such as LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE, and others, on the physical-rheological and chemical characteristics of the base binder. This study assesses how BOPP and Graphene Oxide (GO) work together to develop the performance of the base binder. The modified binder's physical-rheological and chemical structure was evaluated using different percentages of BOPP and Graphene oxide. Penetration, Softening Point, Rotational Viscosity, Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), and temperature sweep tests were conducted to examine the modified binder's properties changes. The findings indicate that the combination of GO and BOPP significantly improved the physical–chemical and rheologic properties of the base binder. The trial rheological results for 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6% of GO and 1.5%, 2.0%, and 2.5% of WBOPP (GWBOPP) modified bitumen demonstrate that the modification of the base binder with this combination improved its elastic capacity at higher temperatures and rutting resistance. These results suggest a positive correlation between the chemical-physical-rheological parameters.