Ageing Evaluation of Foamed Polymer Modified Bitumen with Bio-Flux Additive

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Asphalt binders are crucial in road construction.
• Understanding binder rheological properties is key for hot and warm mix asphalt technologies.
• Bio-flux additives and aging processes can alter binder performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze stiffness changes in asphalt binders modified with bio-flux additives.
• To evaluate the impact of foaming and short-term aging (RTFOT) on binder rheology.
• To determine how polymer modification influences these changes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of complex shear modulus (G*) master curves.
• Testing of three asphalt binders (50/70, 45/80-55, 45/80-80) with varying polymer modification.
• Evaluation of binders in original, foamed, aged, and foamed+aged conditions.

Main Results:

• Stiffening indices were significantly influenced by polymer modification degree and bio-flux additive content.
• The foaming process did not cause additional stiffening in paving-grade or polymer-modified bitumen.
• Specific stiffening indexes were developed to characterize the observed effects.

Conclusions:

• Bio-flux additives and polymer modification are key factors in asphalt binder stiffening.
• Foaming, under tested conditions, does not inherently increase binder stiffness.
• The study provides insights into optimizing asphalt binder performance for road applications.