Performance of the heavy fraction of pyrolysis oil derived from waste printed circuit boards in modifying asphalt

Abstract

The focus of this research was the development of efficient and affordable asphalt modifiers. Pyrolysis oil was produced as a byproduct from the pyrolysis of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs). The high boiling point fraction was separated from the pyrolysis oil through distillation and is referred to as the heavy fraction of pyrolysis oil (HFPO). The HFPO was tested as an asphalt modifier. Three asphalt modifiers were tested: HFPO; styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR); and HFPO + SBR (1:1). The physical properties and road performance of the three modified asphalts were measured and evaluated. The results have shown that when the amount of modifier was less than 10%, the HFPO modified asphalt had the highest softening point of the three. The dynamic stability (DS) and water resistance of the asphalt mixture with the HFPO modified asphalt was 10,161 cycles/mm and 87.2%, respectively. The DS was much larger than for the HFPO + SBR and SBR modified asphalt mixtures. These results indicate that using HFPO as an asphalt modifier has significant benefits not only for road engineering but also for resource recycling.