Rheological stability enhancement of polyethylene modified bitumen by the addition of paraffin wax

Abstract

The rheological behavior of Polyethylene (PE) modified bitumen is investigated. It is found that a rheological plateau under high temperature presented on the curve of storage modulus (G *) variation with temperature. By the addition of little wax, the rutting resistance of bitumen/PE blend can be further improved. Moreover, the wax incorporation into bitumen/PE can significantly decrease the starting temperature of rheological plateau to accommodate the actual service temperature of bituminous pavement, making a potential application of PE/wax modified bitumen in pavement engineering. The reason for this rheological property enhancement by wax is explored in terms of phase separation structure and thermal behavior of bitumen/PE blends. Main focus is put on the relationship between PE crystallinity and rheological behavior.