Abstract
SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer) modified bitumen is one of most widely used polymer modified bitumens in China. It is also not satisfactory when subjected to extreme conditions. Multiple-walled carbon nanotubes, as a type of advanced nanomaterial, are investigated extensively because of their strong adsorption capacity. Little research has been done about MWCNTs/SBS modified bitumen, and in view of this, the performance and modification mechanism of MWCNTs/SBS modified bitumen was investigated in this paper. Conventional bitumen tests, Brookfield viscosity, bending beam rheometer, and dynamic shear rheometer tests showed improved performance at high and low temperature. The optimum MWCNTs content was determined as 1.0%. FT-IR, bitumen four components, and thermal analysis tests were conducted and revealed that the addition of MWCNTs led to a decrease in the content of light components. In addition, the rate of decomposition and volatilization of saturates and aromatics was reduced and better thermal stability of bitumen was found. Fluorescence microscopy tests showed that MWCNTs improved the dispersion of SBS and storage stability of the binder. Finally a schematic was proposed to explain how MWCNTs improved the performance of SBS modified bitumen through their strong adsorption property created by π–π intermolecular forces.
Highlights
The total mileage of bitumen highways in China reached 117,000 kilometers in 2016, and it is expected that there will be a rapid increase in the few years
Experiments were conducted according to two different approaches: one was to investigate the effect of adding multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the properties of SBS modified bitumen at high and investigate the effect of adding MWCNTs on the properties of SBS modified bitumen at high and low temperatures, and the other was to explain the modification mechanism according to the low temperatures, and the other was to explain the modification mechanism according to the specific specific structure and properties of MWCNTs, as well their the interaction with SBS bitumen
Percentages (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 3.0%) of MWCNTs were blended with SBS modified bitumen
Summary
The total mileage of bitumen highways in China reached 117,000 kilometers in 2016, and it is expected that there will be a rapid increase in the few years. Highways are expected to have high temperature rutting resistance and low temperature crack resistance, and in view of this, modified bitumen such as SBS modified bitumen has shown a better rutting and cracking resistance compared to unmodified bitumen. Nanomaterials have been widely used to improve the rheological properties of bitumen, and to that effect, researchers have doped different nanoparticles [2,3]. Two specific types of nanomaterials, namely nano-metal oxides and nano-inorganic materials, have been widely investigated. Nano-metal oxides including nano-TiO2 , nano-SiO2 , and nano-ZnO could improve the rutting resistance of bitumen, but had little effect on its low temperature cracking resistance [4,5]
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