Features of the influence of adhesive promoters on bitumen of different structural and rheological types

Abstract

Improving in the physical and mechanical characteristics of pavement bitumens and increasing the durability of asphalt pavements is reachable within the modification of bituminous binders with various promoters, including adhesive ones. In recent years, the geography of countries supplying pavement bitumen for Ukraine has changed significantly and both oxidized and distillation binders have been widely used. In this regard, the matter of researching the changes in the properties of bitumen used in the road industry of Ukraine under the influence of various modifiers, in particular, adhesive promoters, becomes relevant. The purpose of the work is to track the influence of the adhesive promoter Wetfix BE on the properties of petroleum pavement bitumens used in the road industry of Ukraine. To achieve this purpose in the presented study: experimentally obtained standard indicators of the quality of domestic and imported from various European countries to Ukraine petroleum pavement bitumen; the effect of the chosen adhesive promoter on the adhesion of bitumen to the glass surface is determined; the change in the properties of bituminous binders after aging according to the RTFOT method is estimated. With the obtained data, it was found that the Wetfix BE promoter changes the bitumen properties different ways depend on their structural type. In contrast to oxidized bitumens, for the distillation bitumens the use of the Wetfix BE promoter results in plasticization of the binder to a greater extent, the closer the bitumen is to the "sol" type in terms of structural and rheological type. The Wetfix BE promoter slows down the change in the properties of the oxidized bitumens after aging by the RTFOT method, while heating of the distillation bitumens with the same promoter removes plasticization effect. In order to achieve the same level of increase in the adhesion of bitumen to the surface of mineral materials in asphalt mixtures, the concentration of the Wetfix BE promoter should be slightly higher in oxidized bitumen, which in terms of structural and rheological type is close to the "gel" type. Before using adhesive promoters, it is necessary to take into account the structural and rheological type of bitumen, which will allow to assess the expediency of using this promoter and the specifics of its influence on the properties of bitumen.