Journal of Chemical Engineering & Process Technology
Open Access

Abstract

Effects of food-based bio-additive on the rheological and adhesion properties of bitumen

Abraham Abe and Mariano Davoli

In recent times, the need for the synthesis of biodegradable materials has facilitated the drift of the asphalt industry towards eco-sustainable and cost compatible production of road pavements. The principal additives in the asphalt industry either contain heavy metals or in one way or another contribute largely to atmospheric and environmental pollution. Most of the additives used in the asphalt industry are used to improve the performance of road pavements and increase its lifespan are majorly rheological modifiers, adhesion promoters and anti-oxidant agents. Rheological modifiers increase physico-chemical properties such as transition temperature of asphalt binder (bitumen), adhesion promoters increase the affinity between binder and stone aggregates while anti-oxidant agents reduce the effects of oxidation caused by exposure to air, water and other natural elements during the production of asphalt pavements. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a food grade bio-additive on these three aforementioned properties. the modified bitumen samples were broken down into asphaltenes and maltenes in order to visualize any possible changes the additive had on these bitumen fractions using Electron Microscopy. We also sought to hypothesize the mechanisms by which the additive confers these desired features on bitumen. We present this study to evaluate the effects of a food-based eco-friendly additive on bitumen. The study was conducted through Dynamic Shear Rheology (DSR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) diffusiometry, Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Boiling test analysis.

Published Date: 2021-03-03; Received Date: 2021-01-05