Fabrication and properties of wide temperature domain pavement seaweed modified bio-bitumen

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, seaweed incorporated modified bio-bitumen was prepared using seaweed oil as a modifier. Preliminary studies demonstrated that 20\u202fwt% seaweed bio-bitumen of the total mass of bitumen accounted as the best ratio. Styrene butadiene styrene (SBS)/seaweed bio-bitumen modified petroleum bitumen was prepared by adding 4\u202fwt% SBS modifier to seaweed bio-bitumen modified petroleum bitumen. Furthermore, via in-situ polymerization, reaction of polystyrene (PS) with graphene oxide (GO) resulted in PS-GO with a spring-like structure as confirmed by atomic force microscopy. A wide temperature domain modified bitumen was prepared by adding 0.02\u202fwt% PS-GO of the total mass of bitumen to SBS/seaweed bio-bitumen modified petroleum bitumen. Macroscopic tests showed that adding bio-bitumen and PS-GO effectively improved the performance of pristine SBS modified bitumen mainly attributed to their similar chemistry as confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. Fluorescence microscopy revealed swelling of SBS upon the addition of seaweed bio-bitumen and formed a network like structure in the petroleum bitumen, thereby improving its high temperature rutting resistance and low temperature embrittlement resistance. PS-GO entered the SBS network structure, thereby increasing the toughness and awarding modified bitumen a wide temperature domain. The wide temperature domain modified bitumen can solve the problems of high temperature rutting and low temperature cracking on roads in harsh environments, and can provide good pavement materials for road construction.