Synthesis and characterisation of biocapsules containing low-cost rejuvenators for asphalt self-healing

The global road network spans 64.3million km and is of huge significance for the social and economic development. The level of investment in road construction and maintenance is high, e.g. EU €44billion/year (2019), China €614.7billion/year (2019) and US €94billion/year (2019). Despite the level of investment, there has been minimal investment in the development of new asphalt technologies, particularly when compared with R&D investment in other industries, such as the automotive industry. Despite the limited investment, there have been some innovations in asphalt technology. For the past 20 years, researchers have developed bio-inspired asphalt technology, self-healing and bio-binders and have applied them to asphalt pavements. This research has emerged as a response to global warming and the need to reduce both carbon emissions and reliance on oil in asphalt technology. This paper charts the development of two bio-inspired technologies and considers their significance in relation to the need to reduce carbon emissions and oil dependence (in line with the UN strategic goals, specifically: SDG 9, 11 and 12). This paper considers the potential benefits of bio-inspired technologies and outlines the current barriers to their further development. This paper aims to begin a conversation with stakeholders on how to speed up the acceptance of bio-inspired asphalt technologies and their adoption in road design, construction and maintenance. Or is it the case that we have reached the end of the road for bio-inspired road construction materials?

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Synthesis and Characterisation of Alginate-Based Capsules Containing Waste Cooking Oil for Asphalt Self-Healing

Norambuena-Contreras

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Arteaga-Pérez

et al. 2022

Applied Sciences

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This paper presents the synthesis and characterisation of biopolymeric capsules for asphalt self-healing. A sodium alginate biopolymer extracted from the cell wall of brown algae was used as the encapsulating material to contain Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) as a potential encapsulated rejuvenating agent for aged bitumen. Polynuclear capsules were synthesised by ionic gelation. The size, surface aspect and internal structure of the WCO capsules were evaluated using Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The physical-chemical properties and thermal stability of the WCO capsules and their components were also evaluated. Moreover, the diffusion process and self-healing capability of the released WCO on cracked bitumen test samples were determined by image analysis through fluorescence microscopy. The main results of this study showed that the WCO capsules presented a suitable morphology to be mixed in asphalt mixtures. WCO capsules and their components presented mechanical and thermal stability and physical-chemical properties which suggest their feasibility for self-healing applications. It was proven that the encapsulated WCO can diffuse in the aged bitumen, reducing its viscosity and promoting the self-healing of microcracks.

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Synthesis and characterisation of biocapsules containing low-cost rejuvenators for asphalt self-healing

Cited by 3 publications

References 26 publications

Self-adaptive Construction Materials: Future Directions

Self-adaptive Construction Materials: Future Directions

Is this the end of the road for bio-inspired road construction materials?

Synthesis and Characterisation of Alginate-Based Capsules Containing Waste Cooking Oil for Asphalt Self-Healing

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