Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has the capacity to distinguish among different phases at high resolution, and it is widely used in obtaining topography and mechanical property maps for asphalt binders. This study investigated the effects of long-term aging on both SBS-modified asphalt and base asphalt using AFM. In describing the study findings, this paper introduces two new indices used to quantify changes in the microstructures of asphalt, namely, the percentage of elliptical bee structures and surface roughness. In addition, the Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov modulus and adhesive force were measured to quantify the mechanical properties of the micro-phases. Finally, to evaluate the influence of aging on composite phase properties, a parallel model from the field of composite materials was introduced and applied. The results indicate that aging significantly affected the microstructures and mechanical behavior of micro-phases of asphalt binders. Aging also had a significant influence on the microstructures of the asphalt, especially in the bee structures. The percentage of bee structures increased or decreased after aging depending on the asphalt binder type, while surface roughness always decreased. Aging also increased the composite modulus of the micro-phases and decreased the composite adhesion of the micro-phases. These findings are in agreement with the macroscale aging behavior of asphalt binders.

Investigation of Microscale Aging Behavior of Asphalt Binder Using Atomic Force Microscopy

Sustainable and resilient pavement infrastructure is critical for current economic and environmental challenges. In the past 10 years, the pavement infrastructure strongly supports the rapid development of the global social economy. New theories, new methods, new technologies and new materials related to pavement engineering are emerging. Deterioration of pavement infrastructure is a typical multi-physics problem. Because of actual coupled behaviors of traffic and environmental conditions, predictions of pavement service life become more and more complicated and require a deep knowledge of pavement material analysis. In order to summarize the current and determine the future research of pavement engineering, Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (English Edition) has launched a review paper on the topic of “New innovations in pavement materials and engineering: A review on pavement engineering research 2021”. Based on the joint-effort of 43 scholars from 24 well-known universities in highway engineering, this review paper systematically analyzes the research status and future development direction of 5 major fields of pavement engineering in the world. The content includes asphalt binder performance and modeling, mixture performance and modeling of pavement materials, multi-scale mechanics, green and sustainable pavement, and intelligent pavement. Overall, this review paper is able to provide references and insights for researchers and engineers in the field of pavement engineering.

New innovations in pavement materials and engineering: A review on pavement engineering research 2021

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

Comprehensive review on the transport and reaction of oxygen and moisture towards coupled oxidative ageing and moisture damage of bitumen

Polyurethane/graphene oxide nanocomposite and its modified asphalt binder: Preparation, properties and molecular dynamics simulation

Relationship among cohesion, adhesion, and bond strength: From multi-scale investigation of asphalt-based composites subjected to laboratory-simulated aging

Coal gasification fine slag (CGFS) is a by-product of gasification process of gasification beds that pollutes the environment. To make the utilization of CGF more efficient, poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)/CGFS composites were prepared via a melt blending process, and their mechanical and thermal properties were investigated. In order to dig deeper into the decomposition mechanism, the thermal degradation kinetics were systematically analyzed by drawing non-isothermal heat maps based on the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, Friedman, and Kissinger model-free methods. According to the results, the properties of all tests vary significantly with CGFS content. In particular, at a the CGFS content of 20 phr, the tensile strength (tensile modulus) and flexural strength (flexural modulus) of CGFS-20 were 13.5% (47.8%) and 13.9% (41.6%) higher, respectively, than those of conventional CGFS-0 composites. However, the impact strength decreases with the increase of CGFS content. At the same time, the addition of CGFS suppresses the mass conversion rate and improves the thermal stability of PVC composites at high temperature, and the final residual mass reaches 31%, which is 12.7% higher than that of pure PVC. The kinetic analysis of thermal decomposition shows that CGFS promotes the initial degradation of the composites reduces the activation energy of the reaction, and at the same time endows them with higher thermal stability in the high-temperature phase.

Long Chen

Papers

Relationship among cohesion, adhesion, and bond strength: From multi-scale investigation of asphalt-based composites subjected to laboratory-simulated aging

Kinetic study of mechanical and thermal properties and thermal degradation of PVC composites based on coal gasification fine slag