The Combined Effects of Additives on the Conventional and High-Temperature Performance Properties of Warm Mix Asphalt Binders

Materials (Basel). 2023 Dec 14;16(24):7648. doi: 10.3390/ma16247648.

Abstract

The present study investigates the effects of the simultaneous use of two additives, an organosilane warm mix asphalt (WMA) agent and a grade-bumping polyolefin compound, on the conventional and high-temperature performance properties of a paving grade 50/70 bitumen and a polymer-modified 45/80-55 bitumen. The WMA agent and polyolefin additive were introduced to the binders at rates of up to 0.3% and 2%, respectively. The base asphalt binders and their blends with the additives were tested before and after aging in a rolling thin film oven test at a temperature of 143 °C. The effects of the investigated additives were found to be dependent on the type of base binder and its aging state. It was generally observed that the WMA additive decreased the performance of the asphalt binders and limited the effects of the other additive, which increased the high-temperature stiffness and non-recoverable compliance of the blends. This interaction amounted to as much as an approx. 20% decrease in high-temperature stiffness and non-recoverable compliance of the binders. The additives caused a small increase in the elasticity of the binders and improved their creep performance when measured in multiple stress creep recovery tests.

Keywords: DSR; MSCR; compaction aid; high-temperature stiffness; non-recoverable creep compliance; paving grade bitumen; polymer-modified bitumen; warm mix additive.

Grants and funding

The article processing charge for this article was funded by the program of the Minister of Science and Higher Education under the name: Regional Initiative of Excellence in 2019–2023 project number 025/RID/2018/19 financing amount PLN 12,000,000.