The Effect of Ageing on Chemical and Strength Characteristics of Nanoclay-Modified Bitumen and Asphalt Mixture

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of ageing on bitumen, before and after modification. Nano-clay modified bitumen (NCMB) was produced by adding nano-clay (NC) to 60/70 penetration grade bitumen; then, the binder was tested using conventional tests for properties such as penetration, softening point and viscosity. These tests were carried out on the modified binder before and after ageing. A rolling thin film oven (RTFO) was used to simulate short-term ageing (STA), and a pressure ageing vessel (PAV) was used to simulate long-term ageing (LTA) for the modified binder. After initial results showed an improvement for the modified bitumen regarding the effect of ageing, the investigation continued using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), where the microstructure distribution of the modified binder before and after ageing was observed. Finally, there was no doubt that the effect of ageing on mixtures should be investigated. For this step, the indirect tensile strength (ITS) test, which highlights the strength changes that occur for the mixtures after ageing, was selected. The results indicated that the tensile strength of mixtures made with modified bitumen showed better resistance against ageing when NC was added, which is in good agreement with the results of previous binder tests. The results of this study show that the modification of bitumen using nano-clay as an additive improves the ageing resistance of the binder, which is consequently reflected in the strength of the asphalt mixture.

Waste Not, Want Not: Sustainable Use of Anti-Stripping-Treated Waste Ceramic in Superpave Asphalt Mixtures

“…The synergic effect of incorporating waste ceramic (untreated and treated) in asphalt mixtures was evaluated through ATR-FTIR analysis. As shown in Figure 13, some characteristic peaks can be observed in the tested mixtures: 2922 cm −1 produced by the aliphatic CH2 bond [47,48]; 2360 cm −1 representing antisymmetric stretching of the CO2 bond [49]; 1418 cm −1 and 1459 cm −1 generated by the CH bond [50,51]; 1032 cm −1 referring to Si-O-Si bonds [18]; 1015 cm −1 and 933 cm −1 stimulated by the S=O bond (sulfoxide group) [52][53][54]; 872 cm −1 generated by the C-H bond [47]; and 795 cm −1 , 776 cm −1 , and 774 cm −1 referring to Si-O bonds [55].…”

The Effect of Wetfix and Nanohydrated Lime Additives on Bitumen Aging and the Cohesion and Adhesion Failure Mechanisms of Hot Asphalt Mixtures

“…Omar et al [13] conducted a study on the impact of aging on the chemical and strength properties of nanoclay-modified bitumen and asphalt mixture. The results of ITS tests demonstrated that mixtures containing nanoclay exhibited greater tensile strength and resistance to aging.…”

Effect of hydrated lime and other mineral fillers on stiffening and oxidative ageing in bitumen mastic

“…It may involve molecular structuring, defined as reorganising of bitumen molecules to gain the optimal thermodynamic state subjected to specific conditions. For a long while, attempts to solve asphalt binder's ageing problem by various methods, including polymer modification, modification with nano-particles [4,5], or functional improvement, have been undertaken. Through these methods, various anti-ageing additives have been used, such as ultraviolet (UV) absorbers, antioxidants and combinations of these [1,[6][7][8][9].…”