Influence of Paraffin on the Microproperties of Asphalt Binder Using MD Simulation
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30, Issue 8
Abstract
Previous research has proved that paraffin has a negative effect on the mechanical properties of asphalt binder; however, until now there are very few studies on the fundamental mechanisms on a microscale. To study the effect of paraffin on the microproperties of asphalt binder, three molecular asphalt binder models with different paraffin contents and two molecular models of SBS-modified asphalt binders are created in this paper. The glass transition temperature is then simulated by means of a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, indicating a significant reduction of low-temperature stability due to paraffin. Simulations of density, Young’s moduli, Poisson’s ratio, bulk moduli, and shear moduli are also conducted. The results show that paraffin can influence the mechanical properties substantially, and reduces the high-temperature stability of asphalt binders. Simulation results on the self-healing behavior of asphalt binder with varying paraffin contents demonstrate that paraffin significantly slows the self-healing behavior rate. Based on the molecular simulation results, it is suggested that the paraffin content in asphalt binder should be maintained at a controlled minimum amount.
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Acknowledgments
This paper is based on a part of the research project carried out at the request of the German Research Foundation (DFG), under research project No. OE 514/1-2 (FOR 2089). The China Scholarship Council (CSC) is also gratefully acknowledged. The authors are solely responsible for the content.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30 • Issue 8 • August 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 9, 2017
Accepted: Feb 7, 2018
Published online: Jun 8, 2018
Published in print: Aug 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Nov 8, 2018
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