Ultraviolet ageing of bituminous materials: A comprehensive literature review from 2011 to 2022

Abstract The aging of bitumen is a major contributor to the failure of asphalt pavements. Realistic and accurate laboratory aging methods can predict bitumen durability and guarantee the use of high-quality components in asphalt pavement. However, current standardized aging methods do not incorporate atmospheric parameters, besides elevated temperatures and molecular oxygen. Crucial chemical components like reactive oxygen species (ROS), e.g. nitrogen oxides (NO x ) or ozone (O 3 ), are completely neglected. This study focusses particularly on the reactivity of individual ROS, such as nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and O 3 , in regards to the long-term aging (LTA) of three unmodified bitumen. For LTA an adapted version of the Viennese Binder Aging method was used and the aged bitumen samples were analyzed with the dynamic shear rheometer and Fourier-Transform-Infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The results show that NO as a single component does not induce significant aging, whereas NO 2 leads to severe bitumen deterioration, which is even more accelerated when a second oxygen source is present. In comparison, the reactivity of O 3 is rather mild and it did not cause additional aging for two of the investigated binders. This study provides evidence, that ROS play a crucial role in bitumen aging and should thus not be neglected when addressing realistic aging conditions in the laboratory. 

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1617/s11527-022-01981-1.pdf

Influence of selected reactive oxygen species on the long-term aging of bitumen

A time-temperature-ageing shift model for bitumen and asphalt mixtures based on free volume theory

To predict the performance of bituminous products during their service life, an accurate simulation of the aging behaviour is required. Several laboratory methods are available, yet the correlation to field aging is mostly missing. In this study, an unmodified bitumen was exposed to laboratory aging with the Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) using one to five aging cycles and the Viennese Binder Aging (VBA) method, followed by a comparison to a field sample of the same base binder. Measurements with the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and Fourier-transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that the field aging level could not be reached neither with VBA nor with multiple PAV cycles, but a better approximation compared to the standard aging procedure was achieved. The FTIR spectra displayed a high degree of correlation between the VBA and field aged sample, especially regarding carbonyl formation in the aromatic fraction and the intensity of the sulphoxide band in the resin and asphaltene fractions. Additionally, the VBA sample showed more similarities to the field sample regarding fluorescence excitation–emission maps. Although both laboratory aging methods are an improvement to the standard procedure, the VBA method allowed for a better qualitative simulation of the chemical properties of the investigated field sample.

Chemical and mechanical analysis of field and laboratory aged bitumen

The impact of field ageing on molecular structure and chemistry of bitumen

Field ageing is investigated based on recovered binders. Fifteen sections were considered, consisting of unmodified and polymer-modified binders (PmB). Binders were recovered from the wearing cours...

C. Robertus

Papers

Rheological and chemical properties of field aged binders and their variation within the wearing course