Waste tires can be ground as crumb rubber (CR) and incorporated into asphalt pavement for efficient resource utilization. However, due to its thermodynamic incompatibility with asphalt, CR cannot be uniformly dispersed in the asphalt mix. In order to address this issue, pretreating the CR with desulfurization is a common way to restore some of the properties of natural rubber. The main technique of desulfurization and degradation is dynamic desulfurization, requiring a high temperature that may lead to asphalt fires, aging, and the volatilization of light substances, generating toxic gases and resulting in environmental pollution. Therefore, a green and low-temperature controlled desulfurization technology is proposed in this study to exploit the maximum potential of CR desulfurization and obtain high-solubility “liquid waste rubber” (LWR) close to the ultimate regeneration level. In this work, LWR-modified asphalt (LRMA) with superior low-temperature performance and processability, stable storage, and less susceptibility to segregation was developed. Nevertheless, its rutting and deformation resistance deteriorated at high temperatures. The results showed that the proposed CR-desulfurization technology could produce LWR with 76.9% solubility at a low temperature of 160 °C, which is close to or even better than the finished products produced at the preparation temperature of TB technology, i.e., 220–280 °C.

The connotations and denotations of the term net-zero-energy solar buildings (NZESBs) have been in constant flux because of continuous developments in solar heating technology, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, building energy-storage technology, regional energy-storage technology, and energy-management systems. This paper focuses on innovative strategies for implementing NZESBs in Nanjing, China. These strategies include integrated architectural design, including passive solar design (respecting climatic characteristics and conducting integrated planning based on the environment, building orientation, distance between buildings, building shape, ratio of window area to wall area, and building envelope) and active solar design (integration of the solar-energy-collecting end of the system – collectors and PV panels – with the building surface – roof, wall surfaces, balconies, and sun-shading devices – and the integration of solar-energy transfer and storage equipment with the building). Some Nanjing-specific recommendations and findings on NZESBs are proposed. The results illustrate that NZESBs can be realized in Nanjing if solar energy technologies are appropriately integrated with the characteristics of Nanjing's geography, climate and buildings.

In order to realize effective monitoring for the working performance of seismic isolation structures, a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/methyl vinyl silicone rubber (VMQ) composite was prepared via mechanical blending using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butyl peroxy)hexane (DBPMH) as vulcanizing agents. The effects of the different vulcanizing agents on the dispersion of the MWCNT, electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and resistance–strain response of the composites were investigated. The experimental results showed that the percolation threshold of the composites prepared with the two vulcanizing agents was low, while the DCP-vulcanized composites showed high mechanical properties and a better resistance–strain response sensitivity and stability, especially after 15,000 loading cycles. According to the analysis using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier infrared spectroscopy, it was found that the DCP contributed higher vulcanization activity, a denser cross-linking network, better and uniform dispersion, and a more stable damage–reconstruction mechanism for the MWCNT network during the deformation load. Thus, the DCP-vulcanized composites showed better mechanical performance and electrical response abilities. When employing an analytical model based on the tunnel effect theory, the mechanism of the resistance–strain response was explained, and the potential of this composite for real-time strain monitoring for large deformation structures was confirmed.