SBS-Modified Asphalts for Surface Dressing — A Comparison Between Hot-Applied and Emulsified Binders

Abstract

Styrene-butadiene-styrene addition improves the properties of asphalt in surface dressing: the thermal susceptibility is reduced and the binder cohesion increased, hence better resistance to bleeding and to aggregate dislodgement. The characteristics of hot-applied and emulsified SBS-modified binders are compared through series of laboratory tests: rheological properties, cohesion, tensile strength, toughness and tenacity. Application problems and field performance are globally examined. Hot-applied SBS-modified binders encounter viscosity and adhesion problems. They require a high amount of diluent, that may soften the support and cause aggregate embedment. Their SBS-content must be limited. Emulsified SBS-modified asphalts show excellent adhesion to all types of aggregate. They require very small amounts of diluent. High SBS contents can be employed. Their main drawback is slow setting time.

Polymer modified bitumen emulsions (PMBEs)

“…2.7). The same type of improvement was also obtained with emulsions of PMB (Serfass et al, 1992). For these reasons, PMBEs are now used for chip seals under heavy traffic, and are for example recommended for traffic class T1 (between 300 and 750 heavy trucks per day) and above in France …”

Screening of waterflooding, hot waterflooding and steam injection for extra heavy crude oil production from Tatarstan oilfield

“…The system consists of a precision high-pressure two plunger pump (1), dosing water at a constant rate to the input of an external steam generator (2), tubes connecting of external (2) and internal steam generators (4), core holder (5). The high-pressure chamber (3) includes an internal steam generator (4), core holder (5) with packed core material, ceramic electric heaters (6) and thermocouples (7) (Figure 2). The fluid collection system consists of a back pressure regulator (8), which provides reservoir pressure maintenance in the model and fluid output to the separation burette, where separation occurs under standard conditions for liquid and gas.…”

Empirical and fundamental rheological properties of polymer modified bitumens

“…However, for the SBS PMBs, the increase is relatively minor, approximately 10 percent, at the low polymer content, but shows a sharp increase at the 5% level to approximately 160 percent and finally to approximately 200 percent at the 7% polymer content. This 'S' shaped curve for the two SBS PMBs indicates that below a certain SBS content, there is no polymer network in the binder and the polymer simply acts as a filler, while at higher polymer contents the polymer forms a complete network and the bitumen simply acts as an extender [7].…”