Performance investigation of phenol–formaldehyde resin (PF) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) compound-modified bituminous mixture

Abstract

ABSTRACT Composite modification has proven to be an effective strategy in addressing the insufficient performance associated with single-modified bituminous mixture. This research aims to thoroughly investigate the performance of the compound-modified bituminous mixture incorporation phenol–formaldehyde resin (PF) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT). The performance investigations of the bituminous mixture were conducted through the Marshall stability test, dynamic stability test, indirect tensile test, immersion Marshall test, freeze–thaw splitting test, indirect tensile fatigue test and long-term aging test. The test results indicated that OMMT plays a crucial role in advancing thermal storage stability and compatibility between PF and bitumen. Importantly, the optimal dosage of OMMT was determined not to exceed 5%. The 3%PF+5%OMMT bituminous mixture demonstrated excellent rutting and cracking resistance, superior water stability and anti-fatigue capabilities. Furthermore, the 2%PF+5%OMMT and 3%PF+5%OMMT bituminous mixtures exhibited superior anti-aging abilities. In consideration of laboratory performance and bitumen compatibility, the combination of 3%PF+5%OMMT can be utilised to enhance the bituminous mixture performance. The results of single-factor analysis of variance indicated that PF and OMMT had significantly impact on the bituminous mixture performance. Notably, the influence of PF/OMMT dosage on the cracking resistance, water stability and anti-aging ability requiring attention when considering them as bitumen modifiers.