Evaluation of the Properties of Pyrolytic Char Modified Asphalt Binders and Mixtures
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Date
2022
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Abstract
The total road network length of 6.2 million kilometres in India is the second largest in the world. The major share of roads in India is built as flexible pavements. The most common types of distresses in flexible pavements have been recognised as rutting, moisture damage, and fatigue. To alleviate pavement distresses and address the challenges associated with higher: temperatures, tyre pressures, and axle load levels experienced by pavements, asphalt binder is frequently modified for enhanced performance and extended pavement service life. In recent years, there has been a strong push toward developing sustainable solutions for managing post-consumer tyre and plastic waste streams. In this regard, pyrolysis technology has garnered scientific attention for its ability to minimise waste volume while also allowing for energy valorisation. The two primary pyrolysis products are liquid oils and gases, which have high potential as fuels and precursors to important petrochemicals. The third product, solid carbonaceous pyrolytic char, is considered a by-product with relatively few applications/uses. This study evaluated the utilisation of tyre pyrolytic char (TPC) and plastic pyrolytic char (PPC) as asphalt modifier and evaluated the effect of their incorporation on the properties of asphalt binders as well as on the design and performance attributes of bituminous concrete mixes. The study focused on a multi-faceted investigation that included: (a) characterisation of the two pyrolytic chars (TPC and PPC), (2) characterisation of the TPC and PPC modified asphalt binders focusing on conventional, storage stability, rheological, ageing, microscopic, and thermo-chemical evaluations, and (3) characterisation of asphalt mixtures fabricated with TPC and PPC modified asphalt binders with a focus on their design, rutting performance, moisture damage performance as well as on cracking and fatigue life attributes. A total of nine modified binders/mixtures were studied with a control binder and four binders, each with TPC and PPC modification levels of 5, 10, 15, and 20% by weight of binder.
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Supervisor: Choudhary, Rajan
Keywords
Asphalt Binder Modification, Pyrolysis, Tyre Pyrolytic Char, Plastiic Pyrolytic Char, Asphalt Rheology, Asphalt Mixture, Waste Utilisation