Study of the Impact of the Composite “Rubber:Shungite” on the Properties of Bituminous Rubber Binder

Abstract

Modification of bitumen with polymers is one of the ways to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the binder. However, polymer additives have a high cost. However, this problem can be solved by inserting fine fillers of natural origin into the polymer matrix to reduce the consumption of the polymer while maintaining, and in some cases improving, the performance properties of the composite. Recently, the active filler – shungite, which has a unique fullerene-like structure and high adsorption properties, has been widely studied in various industries. Due to this, as well as due to its bipolarity, it has broad prospects for use in the composition of polymers and in the road industry. The work is devoted to the study of the impact of rubber and the composite “rubber:shungite” at different ratios on the characteristics of bituminous-rubber binder (BRB). It is shown that the use of a rubber-shungite composite in the composition of BRB has the same effect as rubber without filler. At the same time, the polymer content in the composition of BRB is much lower, which is economically advantageous. The introduction of shungite into the polymer led to an increase in the viscosity of the BRB, an increase in the softening temperature, extensibility, and elasticity, which should have a positive effect on the deformative stability of the road surface.