High-temperature functional analysis of bitumen modified with composite of nano-SiO2 and styrene butadiene styrene polymer

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn recent decades, researchers have always considered the production of modified bitumen that could perform suitably in both high and low temperatures. One bitumen modifier is styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) polymer. Because bitumen modified with styrene butadiene styrene polymer does not show expected field performance in high and low temperatures largely due to phase separation of bitumen and polymer, the present research study is an attempt to use the composite of nano-SiO2 and styrene butadiene styrene polymer in modification of bitumen and analyze its high-temperature performance. The study revealed that adding nano-SiO2 to bitumen modified with SBS polymer resulted to an improvement of complex modulus, phase angle, resistance potential against rutting, storage modulus, loss modulus, and high-temperature functional performance in general. Additionally, the study uncovered that adding nano-SiO2 with 3% and 4% of bitumen weight, compared with other composites, considerably improved the high-temperature functional performance of bitumen modified with styrene butadiene styrene polymer. As 4.5%SBS+4%nano-SiO2 could not estimate less than 3 Pa.sec rotational viscosity in 135°C, 4.5%SBS+3%nano-SiO2 is offered as the optimal composite. The study is the first one in its own type in the world and is, therefore, innovative.