PAVING ASPHALT POLYMER BLENDS: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES (WITH DISCUSSION)

The study presented here begins with the relationships between the composition (defined by the chemical properties of the constituents entering into the system and by the ratio of the phases of the produced binder), the structure (micromorphology observed with the fluorescence microscope) and the rheological and practical properties of binders modified by the incorporation of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers. This study of the modification of asphalts by a trisequenced SBS copolymer shows the following: 1) The material conditions of blend preparation have an important impact on the structure and properties of modified binders: the longer the agitation time, the finer the microstructure. 2) There is a relationship between microstructure and physical properties: binders with a coarse microstructure and an asphalt matrix are not deformable at low temperature. 3) The amount of polymer required for matrix inversion and for obtaining highly modified practical properties depends to a great extent on the asphalt itself, but chemical analysis by generic groups does not allow a prediction of the value of this inversion threshold. 4) The extent of swelling in asphalt-SPS blends is practically independent of the temperature over the 80-160 C range. 5) The saturated oil fraction of the asphalt may play an important role in the mechanisms behind the modification of the properties of asphalt-SBS blends. 6) An increase in the ring and ball softening temperature and in the plasticity interval, and a decrease in the thermal sensitivity of asphalt-SBS blends is not directly proportional to polymer content and depends significantly on the asphalt itself. 7) There is a colloidal instability index value beyond which the polymer is no longer swollen in the modified binder, but solubilized by the asphalt.

• Corporate Authors:

  Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT)

  400 Selby Avenue, Suite I
  St Paul, MN  United States  55102
• Authors:
  • BRULE, B
  • Brion, Y
  • Tanguy, A
• Conference:
  • Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists Proc
• Publication Date: 1988

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 41-64
• Serial:
  • Volume: 57

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt pavements; Blends; Chemical composition; Copolymers; Materials selection; Microstructure; Physical properties; Polymers; Properties of materials; Styrene butadiene styrene; Swelling
• Uncontrolled Terms: Relationships; Ring and ball test
• Old TRIS Terms: Colloidal instability index; Matrix inversion; Plasticity interval; Saturated oil
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00745283
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 23 1998 12:00AM