Preparation And Characterization Of Epoxy Resin Modified Asphalt

Confronting the main problem of materials for paving road or bridges, this paper researched the novel materials of two components thermosetting asphalt designated epoxy asphalt, and a new concept"thermosetting asphalt for paving road or bridge"was proposed.(1) Binders for the top paving materials of the pavement;(2) Adhesive layer for the adhesive between the steel deck or concrete and the top paving materials.Both of them are composed of two components 1) maleated asphalt with curing agents and accelerant of epoxy resin and 2) epoxy resin.Its paving feasibility, microscopic structure and concrete performances were investigated compared without maleated epoxy asphalt using Brookfield viscometer, direct tension test (DTT), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Marshall testing and MTS?810 hydraulic servos-system. Although only 50~60% MAH reacted with the base asphalt irreversibly, the increase of curing rate, rupture elongation and the tensile strength of maleated epoxy asphalt were much greater than that of without maleation.FTIR indicates that the anhydride doesn't disappear (probably by Diels-Alder mechanism). In order to avoid the sublimation of MAH and protect the operators in the spot, or even to avoid the emergence of the pores from the unreacted MAH in the cured binder, which decreased the rupture elongation and tensile strength remarkably. Vacuumizing under various conditions was studied.As a result, 4% MAH modified asphalt with other curing agents (organic acid and organic anhydride) vacuumizing (0.05Mpa) for 30 minutes after step 2 is the best choice to prepare the epoxy asphalt binder which provided enough time to manufacture and transport the asphalt concrete to the paving spot and compact onto the road. And this epoxy asphalt binder has an average rupture elongation of 281.9%, average tensile strength of 2.63 Mpa, Marshall stability of its cured epoxy asphalt concrete of 37.0 kN, uncured epoxy asphalt concrete of 10.2 kN and the combined beam of fatigue test still well after 12,000,000 cycles load (5kN, 10Hz, sinusoidal waves). The adhesive layer, whose A component was 5.5% MAH modified asphalt with other curing agents vacuumizing (0.05Mpa) for 30 minutes after step 2, has an average tensile strength of 6.8Mpa, average elongation of 160%. These improvements are attributed to the formation of the infusible, insoluble thermosetting asphalt composites.