Mechanical Properties of the Interfacial Bond between Asphalt-Binder and Aggregates under Different Aging Conditions

Abstract

Aging has a detrimental impact on the interfacial interaction and bonding between asphalt-binder and aggregates, which influence ultimately on the performance of asphalt mixtures and pavements. Evaluation of the mechanical properties of the interface between the asphalt-binder and aggregates has thus become a hot research topic, particularly as a function of aging. In this study, the interfacial tensile strength, compressive strength, elastic modulus, and interfacial recovery energy were measured and quantified using molecular dynamic simulation. Whilst the free volume of the asphalt mixtures exhibited sensitivity to aging, the interfacial tensile strength decreased with an increase in the degree of aging. In general, the mechanical properties of the asphalt-binder-aggregate interface were found to be significantly dependent on the aggregate type. Furthermore, the study results indicated that interfacial recovery energy is a key characteristic property for characterizing the interfacial adhesive force within asphalt mixtures. Overall, the study of mechanical properties of the asphalt-binder and aggregate interface, as presented in this paper, contributes to quantifying the adhesive properties and improving the performance of asphalt mixtures.

The Influence of the Affinity between Aggregate and Bitumen on the Mechanical Performance Properties of Asphalt Mixtures

“…In summary, as concluded by Zhang et al [24], the mechanical properties of the interface between binder and aggregates depends on several aspects, both elastic and viscous (plastic) regions are found at the aggregate/binder interface when tensioning a sample. The geological nature of the aggregate and the aging have a significant effect on the tensile strength of this interface.…”

“…Many advanced tests and simulations can be performed to evaluate the quality of the binder-aggregate bonding, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) [19,25]; energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) [25]; active adhesion evaluation method (AAEM) [10]; atomic force microscopy (AFM) [26,27]; binder bond strength (BBS) [28]; scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS) [17]; infrared spectroscopy (IR) [13]; optical microscopy (OM) [29], hyperspectral imaging/digital image processing (DIP) [30] and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) [16,21,24]; in addition to other test methods described by Mehrara et al [2].…”

Grey model prediction for the interfacial properties of carbon fiber-reinforced bismaleimide resin under thermo-oxidative aging

“…4,5 There are many microcracks between the fiber and matrix resin caused by shrinkage 6 and chain scission of the matrix resin, 7 and the thermal stress mismatch 8 between the fiber and matrix resin after thermo-oxidative aging (TOA), especially when CFRPCs are exposed to high temperatures close to or more than the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of the matrix resin. 9,10 Moreover, the early failure of CFRPCs often begins at the weak point of the fiber/matrix interface. 11 The interface is a special component of composites, which is directly related to the effective transfer and dispersion of the load between the matrix and reinforcement, and it thus determines the strength and toughness of composites.…”