Development of an Energy-Efficient Method of Obtaining Polymer-Modified Bitumen with High Operational Characteristics via Polymer–Bitumen Concentrate Application

Abstract

New requirements for the operational reliability of roads make the utilization of polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) more common in road construction. The application of polymer-modified bitumen based on traditional technology for the production of asphalt mixtures is associated with technological and economic difficulties and does not provide proper adhesion to the mixture’s mineral components. In addition, the method of producing a binder over a long time at high process temperatures leads to increased aging, which significantly reduces the service life of the material in the pavement. This paper presents the results of studies on the effect of polymer–bitumen concentrate (PBC) consisting of styrene–butadiene–styrene, plasticizer, and surfactant on the bitumen characteristics. It has been established that the use of PBC in the bitumen binder leads to an increase in the temperature range of plasticity, softening temperature, elasticity, and cohesive strength with a decrease in the viscosity of the modified bitumen. With a complex modifier rational content of 8% by weight of bitumen, the temperature range of plasticity is 79 °C, and elasticity is 82%, which exceeds the parameters of the factory PMB-60 based on SBS polymer. Tests of binders using the Superpave method allow classifying the modified binder to the PG 64-28, which shows an increase in the temperature range of viscoelastic properties by 6 °C compared with the binder produced by traditional methods. Thus, the expediency of using a complex additive containing a polymer and surface-active substances (surfactants) that can be distributed in bitumen without the use of a colloid agitator and plasticizer has been proven to improve the quality of an organic binder.