Rubber-like Quasi-thermosetting Polyetheramine-cured Epoxy Asphalt Composites Capable of Being Opened to Traffic Immediately

Abstract

This paper reports the facile preparation, mechanical performance and linear viscoelasticity of polyetheramine-cured rubber-like epoxy asphalt composites (EACs) with different asphalt contents. Compared with previous EACs prepared via complex chemical reactions and time-consuming high-temperature curing, the EACs reported here were obtained by using a compatible, bi-functional polyetheramine and a simple physical co-blend process, which make the EACs feasibly scalable for production at a lower cost. The EACs were cured for 1 h at 160 °C and 3 d at 60 °C; therefore, these composites can be opened to traffic immediately. The EACs have a much greater temperature stability than common thermoplastic polymer-modified asphalt composites from −30 °C to 120 °C, but their complex shear moduli at higher temperatures slightly decrease instead of remaining constant when temperatures are greater than 80 °C, especially for the higher asphalt content composites; that is, these composites are quasi-thermosetting. Wicket plots illustrate that the EACs reported here are thermorheological simple materials, and the master curves are constructed and well-fitted by generalized logistic sigmoidal model functions. This research provides a facile, low-cost method for the preparation of polyetheramine-cured EACs that can be opened to traffic immediately, and the concept of quasi-thermosetting may facilitate the development of cheaper EACs for advanced applications.

Chemo-Rheological Study of Hardening of Epoxy Modified Bituminous Binders with the Finite Element Method

“…the qualitative analyses, one three-dimensional cubic finite-element mesh of E10-3 m geometry and of16,200 …”

Anhydrides-Cured Bimodal Rubber-Like Epoxy Asphalt Composites: From Thermosetting to Quasi-Thermosetting

“…, their moduli did not keep constant at about 1.0 × 10 5 Pa such as those of 120#, 150#, 180# and 210#. The findings are similar to that of the quasi-thermosetting polyetheramine-cured EACs [11]. Namely, there is also a limit of asphalt content to maintain the thermosetting nature for anhydrides-cured bimodal REACs.…”

“…Usually, they are two-component systems that result from the reaction of curing agents within asphalt (part A) and epoxy resin (part B) [ 8 , 9 ]. According to their curing agents, the EACs are categorized to be amine systems and acid systems [ 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Like the hydration reactions of cement-binding materials, once the two parts were mixed, the viscosity and modulus of the mixture would increase, and after a period of time ( i.e.…”

Performance Characteristics of Diluted Epoxy Asphalt Binders and Their Potential Application in Chip Seal

“…Thermoset polymers are three-dimensional cross-linked and can rarely melt within the range of pavement service temperatures. Its unique properties can avoid rutting or shoving, and provide a high resistance to damages from traffic loads, fuels, moisture and oxidative degradation (Cubuk, Guru and Cubuk, 2009, Yu, Cong and Wu, 2009, Kang, Wu, Jin, Yu and Cheng, 2016, Hu, Qian, Xue and Yang, 2016.…”