Performance Evaluation and Chemical Characterization of Asphalt Binders and Mixtures Containing Recycled Polyethylene (original) (raw)
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Developing Sustainable Asphalt Mixtures Using High-Density Polyethylene Plastic Waste Material
Sustainability
There is growing interest in sustainable road pavement technologies to protect the environment and provide economic benefits. Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics are considered for construction to address the threat of plastic waste materials (PWM) and to improve sustainability. Asphalt pavement construction is highly considered for PWM recycling due to its large daily production. The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of asphalt mixture containing PWM, specifically high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and compare its performance with two conventional mixtures. Three asphalt mixtures were considered: (1) mixture with asphalt binder PG 76-22 (SBS-modified); (2) mixture with asphalt binder PG 70-22 (SBS-modified); and (3) mixture with binder PG 67-22 and 3% HDPE (the plastic mixture). The rheological properties of the modified asphalt binders and the performance of the modified asphalt mixtures were evaluated. The long-term field performance of the pavements was mo...
Incorporation of Waste Plastic in Asphalt Binders to Improve their Performance in the Pavement
International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, 2013
With the increase in road traffic more demands are placed on pavements, and thus the structural and functional performance of road pavements needs to be improved. One method that can greatly improve the quality of the flexible pavements is the addition of polymers to the bitumen or to the asphalt mixtures. Although the modification of bitumen with virgin polymers can improve the properties of asphalt mixtures, the use of recycled plastic may also show a similar result with additional environmental advantages. This work aims to evaluate the possible advantages of modifying the bitumen with different plastic wastes, namely polyethylene (high density HDPE and low density LDPE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and crumb rubber, in order to improve the properties of the resulting binders for use in high performance asphalt mixtures. The performance of modified binders with recycled polymers was compared with that of the conventional bitumen and the one of a commercial modified binder (Styrelf). The results of the laboratory tests (basic characterization, dynamic viscosity, resilience and storage stability) will be used in the selection of the best plastic waste materials and production conditions that should be used in the modification of bitumen in order to optimize its behaviour, emphasizing that this study aims to promote the reuse of plastic waste in a more environmental and economic way.
2018
Modification of asphalt is a fundamental method around the world mainly on the purpose of providing more durable pavements which lead to diminish repairing cost during the lifetime of highways. Various polymers such as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) make up the greater parts of the all-over asphalt modifiers generally providing better physical properties of asphalt by decreasing temperature dependency which eventually diminishes permanent deformation on highways such as rutting. However, some waste and low-cost materials such as recycled plastics and ground rubber tire have been attempted to utilize in asphalt as modifier instead of manufactured polymer modifiers due to decreasing the eventual highway cost. On the other hand, the usage of recycled plastics has become a worldwide requirement and awareness in order to decrease the pollution made by waste plastics. Hence, finding an area in which recycling plastics could be utilized has been targeted b...
SUSTAINABLE RECYCLING OF POLYETHYLENE WASTE THROUGH UTILIZATION IN ASPHALT PAVING APPLICATIONS
2023
One the enormous amount of waste polyethylene (PE) materials amassing in Iraq is posing an expensive landfill and disposal issue. The current study examines the potential for employing PE as a partial replacement for environmentally friendly pavement construction. Different amounts of PE were used to partially replace asphalt cement (3 %, 6 %, 9 %, and 12 % by weight). The PE-substituted asphalt (PESA) binders were subjected to the rheological and compatibility properties. Additionally, two asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures-one control and one PEAC-were created for the mechanical and durability experiments. Among the parameters assessed during the tests are the following: adhesion to a variety of substrates and substrate surfaces; elongation at room temperature (aging index); flexibility at elevated temperatures (cracking index); temperature susceptibility; compatibility; and the extensional viscosity of the PESA binder as well as the extensional viscosity of the PESA-mixture (PESAM). Furthermore, the mechanical and durability properties of AC and PEAC mixes were examined using the Marshall stability, Marshall quotient, static indirect tensile strength at 25 and 60°C, tensile strength ratio, and resilient modulus 25°C tests. Results show that PESA binder outperforms virgin asphalt binder in terms of cracking and temperature resistance. PEAC mixture exhibits higher stability, indirect tensile strength, moisture resistance and resilient modulus than AC mixture. According to standard and durability testing, replacing virgin binder with six percent PE can be recyclable and suitable for use as sustainable material for paving applications.
With the increased focus on recycling of waste materials in infrastructure construction and maintenance, there is an ever-increasing interest in the recycling of waste plastic in the production of asphalt mixtures for road and other pavement surfacing. However, there are many types of plastic and only some are compatible with asphalt production. Some compatible plastics are capable of extending the mineral aggregate in asphalt mixtures, while others can also improve the mixture properties, by increasing the resistance to rutting and cracking. However, the most valuable plastics can extend and improve the bituminous binder in the asphalt mixture, effectively replacing the synthesized polymers that are commonly used to improve moisture resistance, temperature susceptibility, crack resistance and deformation resistance. Despite these potential benefits, there are many challenges associated with the categorization of different plastics and their associated effects, as well as the sourcing of a consistent and uncontaminated plastic supply. Other challenges include the digestion and stability of plastic in the bituminous binder phase when the wet mixing process is used. It is also essential to confirm and demonstrate that asphalt mixtures containing recycled plastic do not increase fume generation during construction, or chemical leachate of road surfaces during service. These challenges must be resolved if the potential for recycling plastic in road and other pavement asphalt layers is to be fully maximised in the future. This paper summarises the potential benefits of waste plastic as an asphalt binder modifier and explores the challenges associated with the implementation of waste plastic as a mature technology in asphalt binder and mixture production. The potential to overcome those challenges is also considered.
Utilization of Waste Plastics in Asphalt Mixtures
2002
In this study, waste plastics were mixed with an asphalt mixture as a part of aggregates, and the application of waste plastics to a material of asphalt mixtures was researched from the effect of the mixed plastics on properties of the mixtures. Dense graded and pororis asphalt mixtures were used in the experiment. Polyethylene and polypropylene are more useful than any other kinds of plastics. So, Plastics used in the experiment were polyethylene and polypropylene pellets sold at market, polyethylene recycled pellets made from PET bottle labels, crushed polyethylene in industrial wastes and mixed plastics in domestic wastes. The results indicated fluidity-resistant of dense graded asphalt mixtures is improved by mixed with polyethylene or polypropylene, and bending fatigue destruction-resistant and anti-stripping of dense graded asphalt mixtures are improved by mixed with polyethylene. Fluidity-resistant, oil-resistant and anti-stripping of porous asphalt mixtures are improved by m...
Environmentally Friendly Disposal of End-Of-Life Plastics for Asphalt Production
Springer eBooks, 2022
Polymers and plastics are main constituents of a variety of daily life products. Nevertheless, there is great public concern on these materials mainly due to waste and end-of-life management. This work reports an alternative for the recycle and reuse of End-of-Life Plastics (EOLP), as performance-enhancing additives of asphalt for road pavement. Physical-mechanical characteristics of Bitumen 50/70 mixtures containing different percentages of EOLP and other polyolefin waste (Secondary primary polymeric materials, SPPM) are compared to standard Bitumen. All mixtures where characterised to determine tensile strength, resistance by Marshall tests and Marshal quotation, density, air voids, indirect tensile strength (ITS), indirect traction coefficient (ITC). Data highlight that use of EOLP as bitumen modifier allows to improve Marshall Stability and ITS of road asphalts. Moreover, benign features of this process clearly appear due to the increase in plastic reuse and recycling, reduced plastic incineration, bitumen and additives consumption, waste management costs, CO 2 production.
Plastic waste use as aggregate and binder modifier in open-graded asphalts
Selected papers from the 3rd Edition of the International Conference on Wastes: Solution, Treatments and Opportunities, Vianado Castelo, Portugal,14-16 September 2015, 2015
The rapid urbanization growth results in higher traffic levels creating the need for roads with improved performance. However, building a road pavement requires large amounts of materials, and their extraction can lead to the devastation of natural resources and cause negative impacts on the environment. The asphalt mixture, a matrix of aggregates linked with an asphalt binder, is one of the most important materials used for road paving. The aggregates represent approximately 90% of asphalt mixtures, and the alternative of their partial substitution by plastic wastes can be considered as a sustainable technology, since an equivalent performance can be assured (Robinson, 2004). Regarding the asphalt binder, it is the most valuable constituent and largely responsible for the asphalt mixture performance (Becker et al., 2001). One method often used to improve the asphalt mixtures mechanical performance is the addition of polymers (Becker et al., 2001), which can be applied in asphalt mixtures by using the wet method (as asphalt binder modifier) or the dry method (when the polymers are added to the aggregates). However, the use of virgin polymers can even double the final price of asphalt binders (Kalantar et al., 2012). The use of plastic wastes, instead of virgin polymers, can be a good answer for that economic concern, being also a better environmental solution. Besides the road mechanical performance, related to the durability and structural design of asphalt road pavements, the pavement must also provide a safe, comfortable and noiseless surface. These functional characteristics are related with the tire/pavement interaction, adhesion and noise, and the projection of water in wet weather, which in turn are related with the porosity, the surface texture, and the incorporation of polymers (usually elastomers) (Biligiri, 2013). Open-graded and porous asphalts mixtures are frequently applied in surface layers due to their ability to reduce water splash, aquaplaning and noise, promoting the adhesion between the
Sustainability, 2020
The desire to develop sustainable infrastructure, including pavement structures and materials, is ever increasing in recent times. One opportunity is to partially replace high-cost bituminous binder with low-cost recycled plastic in asphalt mixtures. This synthesis combines the various research efforts to understand the effects of two commercially available recycled plastics, known as MR6 and MR10, on bituminous binders and asphalt mixtures. Using common test methods from the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, generally consistent and significant effects were observed in various base bitumen grades and various common asphalt mixture types. Binder resistance to flow and binder elasticity both increased significantly and were associated with the three to four grade increases under the Performing Grading system. Similarly, mixture stiffness and mixture resistance to deformation increased significantly, while crack resistance and moisture damage resistance were not signifi...