Experimental characterization of viscoelastic behaviors, microstructure and thermal stability of CR/SBS modified asphalt with TOR

Abstract

It is well known that crumb rubber (CR) and styrene–butadienestyrene (SBS) composite modified asphalt has better rheological and engineering performance. However, it always presents very poor compatibility and storage stability. Meanwhile, Trans-polyoctenamer (TOR) can effectively improve the compatibility and thermal stability of rubber asphalt. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of TOR on rheological properties, microstructure and thermal stability of CR/SBS modified asphalt. The results show that TOR has a significant influence on strengthening anti-rutting and temperature sensitivity of CR/SBS modified asphalt. However, TOR has a slightly negative influence on the anti-cracking ability for CR/SBS modified asphalt, which still maintains the critical low temperature requirement. Furthermore, TOR could be able to promote the conformation of cross-linked structure between polymer and asphalt, resulting in a significant enhancement in rheological properties and thermal stability of CR/SBS modified asphalt. Lastly, the effects of TOR on viscoelastic performance for modified asphalt markedly depend on the component of neat asphalt, and high asphaltene content is beneficial for improving the rheological behavior effects of TOR.