Rejuvenating Mechanism of Aged Asphalt with Bio-Rejuvenator from Micro Aspect

This research sought to explain the rejuvenating mechanism of aged asphalt with bio-rejuvenator. Studies on rejuvenating mechanism of aged asphalt have mainly focused on the qualitative analysis in the functional group by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) but not quantitatively on the amount of functional groups. This study aims to reveal the rejuvenating mechanism of bio-rejuvenated base and SBS modified asphalts by quantitative analysis. Results illustrated that the fractions in asphalt could be slightly balanced after restoration. Moreover, comparison between theoretical calculation and testing data indicated that chemical transmission occurred between four components. FTIR results indicated that new functional group wasn’t identified in base and SBS-modified binders’ rehabilitation process. However, analyzing A₁₇₃₅/A₈₁₁ with different dosages of bio-rejuvenator no longer showed a linear relationship. It also indicated that aged binder rehabilitation with bio-rejuvenator isn’t merely a physical mix but also involves a chemical reaction.