摘要: |
At the Office of Engineering Research and Development of the Federal Highway Administration, chemically modified crumb rubber (CMCR) has been used successfully to improve both high- and low-temperature performance grade specifications in many types of asphalts, including those with low asphaltene levels. CMCR asphalt (CMCRA) is also more homogenous and has a lower separation range after heated storage than conventional crumb rubber-modified asphalts (CRMA). So far, CMCRA has only been tested in small laboratory quantities; however, the results indicate that it may possibly be one of the most cost-efficient modified asphalts in the industry. Researchers at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center pursued a similar procedure with polymer-modified asphalts (PMA). Unlike conventional PMA, CMCRA enhanced the interaction of polymer functional groups within PMA systems, containing both normal and low asphaltene contents. This new development led to an improvement in the rheological properties of the chemically modified binder by one performance grade for both high and low temperatures, as well as in its homogeneity. |