Dynamic mechanical behavior of polymer modified bitumen

Abstract

The dynamic mechanical behaviour of bitumen (BIT) modified with styrene/butadiene/styrene block copolymer (SBS) were investigated. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were performed in the temperature range –80 to 60 °C. The primary viscoelastic functions were determined at the traffic frequency, 5 Hz. The BIT+SBS blends were investigated in creep fatigue regime at temperature 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 °C. Dynamic mechanical behaviour of BIT+SBS blends depends on their morphological characteristics, number of phases, phase compositions and phase content in blend, as well as time and temperature. The curves of primary viscoelastic functions, storage modulus (E′), loss modulus (E′′) and loss tangent (tg δ) vs. temperature of polymer modified bitumen differ from unmodified bitumen and indicate the presence of the swollen polybutadiene and polystyrene phases in bitumen phase. The curve E′ vs. temperature of polymer modified bitumen show the rubbery plateau. With the increment of SBS content the rubbery plateau is shifted to high temperatures. At the constant load the creep values of BIT-SBS blends increase and those of creep modulus decrease over a period of time. These effect are more pronounced in samples with higer content of SBS. The time-temperature correspondence principle was applied to create master curves for the reference temperature 10 °C for the creep modulus of BIT + SBS blends. The data were analysed using WLF and Arrhenius equations.