Improvements of Developed Graphite Based Composite Anti-Aging Agent on Thermal Aging Properties of Asphalt

oleh: Zhihui Hu, Tao Xu, Pengfei Liu, Markus Oeser, Haopeng Wang

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-09-01

Deskripsi

To reduce the thermal-oxidative aging of asphalt and the release amount of harmful volatiles during the construction of asphalt pavement, a new composite anti-aging agent was developed. Since the volatiles were mainly released from saturates and aromatics during the thermal-oxidative aging of asphalt, expanded graphite (EG) was selected as a stabilizing agent to load magnesium hydroxide (MH) and calcium carbonate (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) nanoparticles for preparing the anti-aging agents of saturates and aromatics, respectively. Thermal stability and volatile constituents released from saturates and aromatics before and after the thermal-oxidative aging were characterized using the isothermal Thermogravimetry/Differential Scanning Calorimetry-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer test (TG/DSC-FTIR test). Test results indicate that anti-aging agents of EG/MH and EG/CaCO<sub>3</sub> effectively inhibit the volatilization of light components in asphalt and improve the thermal stability of saturates and aromatics. Then, the proportions of EG, MH, and CaCO<sub>3</sub> added in the developed composite anti-aging agent of EG/MH/CaCO<sub>3</sub> are 2:1:3 by weight. EG/MH/CaCO<sub>3</sub> plays a synergetic effect on inhibiting the thermal-oxidative aging of asphalt, and reduces the release amount of harmful volatiles during the thermal-oxidative aging after EG/MH/CaCO<sub>3</sub> is added into asphalt at the proposed content of 10 wt.%. EG plays a synergistic role with MH and CaCO<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles to prevent the chain reactions, inhibiting the thermal-oxidative aging of asphalt.