Abstract
Over the last years, the replacement of traditional polymer modifiers with waste plastics has attracted increasing interest. The implementation of such technology would allow a drastic reduction of both production cost and landfill disposal of wastes. Among all, polyethylene-based plastics have been proved suitable for this purpose. The research activities presented in this paper aim to assess the synergistic effect of polyethylene and Fischer–Tropsch waxes on the viscoelastic properties and performance of the bitumen. In order to reduce the blending time, waxes, and polyethylene need to be added simultaneously. In fact, the presence of the waxes reduces the polarity of the bitumen matrix and increases the affinity with the polymer promoting its dispersion. Results demonstrate that the chain length of the waxes, the form of the added waste polyethylene, and the blending protocol have critical effects on the time-evolution of such properties. Short-chain waxes have a detrimental impact on the rutting resistance regardless of the blending protocol. On the contrary, long-chain waxes improve the overall behavior of the polyethylene-modified binders and, in particular, the resistance to permanent deformations.
Highlights
Appearance of the peak at cm 1660 cm reflected the formation of carbonyl groups (C=O) while the more prominent whileat the peak at 1032 cm−1 indicated the increment of sulfoxide peak
The increment of the neat bitumen (NB) complex modulus at high temperature as the blending time progresses is indicative of a forced-aging process happening during blending and caused by the high-temperature
PE-modified binders binders (PEMB) and without waxes was to the bitumen modified with polyethylene only, the presence of LCW improved the evaluated via multiple stress-creep recovery (MSCR) analysis and confirmed the indications obtained from the linear visrutting resistance of the final asphalt binder
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Fischer–Tropsch (FT) waxes, unbranched saturated hydrocarbons produced synthetically from syngas, are considered the most promising due to the simultaneous beneficial effects on binders and, mixtures While they reduce the viscosity and increase the lubricity of the bitumen at mixing and compaction temperatures, depending on the length of the wax chain, they can generate stiffer materials at in-service conditions [12,13]. Since fluorescent microscopy was demonstrated unreliable to investigate the internal structure of this class of materials, a solvent-extraction process was ad hoc designed to recover the contained polymers without altering their structural integrity This methodology revealed the formation of polymeric sponge-like networks within the bitumen matrixes and their tomographic analysis con-.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
