Liu Qian, Hou Fujin, Ge Dongdong, Lv Songtao, Ju Zihao
National Engineering Research Center of Highway Maintenance Technology, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China.
National Key Laboratory of Green and Long-Life Road Engineering in Extreme Environment (Changsha), Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China.
Materials (Basel). 2025 Jul 5;18(13):3186. doi: 10.3390/ma18133186.
Prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure accelerates aging and degradation, while conventional constant-intensity UV simulations do not reflect the variable nature of outdoor radiation. Aging duration and film thickness are both key factors affecting Rubber-Modified Asphalt (RMA), but how their combination influences RMA remains unclear. To address this limitation, this research employed accelerated aging experiments under variable-intensity UV radiation to investigate the performance and aging mechanism of RMA across different aging durations and asphalt film thicknesses. Rheological properties were analyzed through rheological tests, and the UV aging mechanisms of RMA were revealed using FTIR and SEM. The results revealed that crumb rubber improved RMA's UV aging resistance, including high-temperature performance, fatigue life, and low-temperature cracking resistance. Aging effects were more influenced in RMA with thinner films under prolonged UV exposure. After nine cycles of ultraviolet aging, the rutting resistance, elastic recovery, fatigue life, and low-temperature cracking resistance of RMA with a 1 mm film thickness were 1.33, 1.11, 0.54, and 0.67 times, respectively, those of RMA with a 2 mm film thickness subjected to three UV aging cycles. RMA demonstrated comparable high-temperature performance and elastic recovery under UV aging conditions corresponding to a 1.5 mm film thickness aged for three cycles and a 2.0 mm film thickness aged for six cycles, as well as a 1.0 mm film thickness aged for six cycles and a 1.5 mm film thickness aged for nine cycles. FTIR showed that the increased activity of C=C and C-H under photo-oxidative aging caused a greater impact on the carbonyl groups than the sulfoxide groups. Under high-intensity UV radiation, RMA with thinner films exhibited greater rubber powder detachment, increased surface oxidation, and a substantial widening of cracks. The rubber powder absorbed UV radiation, enhancing the stability of RMA. The maximum crack width of the 1 mm NA was twice that of RMA. These provided insight into the microstructural pattern of cracking resistance degradation caused by aging. This research provides theoretical support for the optimization of the anti-aging performance of RMA.
长时间暴露在紫外线下会加速老化和降解,而传统的恒定强度紫外线模拟并不能反映室外辐射的变化特性。老化持续时间和薄膜厚度都是影响橡胶改性沥青(RMA)的关键因素,但它们的组合如何影响RMA仍不清楚。为解决这一局限性,本研究采用可变强度紫外线辐射下的加速老化实验,以研究不同老化持续时间和沥青薄膜厚度下RMA的性能和老化机理。通过流变测试分析流变性能,并利用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)揭示RMA的紫外线老化机理。结果表明,胶粉提高了RMA的抗紫外线老化性能,包括高温性能、疲劳寿命和抗低温开裂性能。在长时间紫外线照射下,薄膜厚度较薄的RMA受老化影响更大。经过9个循环的紫外线老化后,薄膜厚度为1mm的RMA的抗车辙性能、弹性恢复、疲劳寿命和抗低温开裂性能分别是经过3个紫外线老化循环的薄膜厚度为2mm的RMA的1.33倍、1.11倍、0.54倍和0.67倍。在对应于薄膜厚度为1.5mm老化3个循环和薄膜厚度为2.0mm老化6个循环,以及薄膜厚度为1.0mm老化6个循环和薄膜厚度为1.5mm老化9个循环的紫外线老化条件下,RMA表现出相当的高温性能和弹性恢复。FTIR表明,光氧化老化下C=C和C-H活性的增加对羰基的影响比对亚砜基的影响更大。在高强度紫外线辐射下,薄膜较薄的RMA表现出更大的胶粉脱离、表面氧化增加和裂缝大幅加宽。胶粉吸收紫外线辐射,增强了RMA的稳定性。1mm非老化沥青(NA)的最大裂缝宽度是RMA的两倍。这些结果为老化导致的抗裂性能降解的微观结构模式提供了见解。本研究为优化RMA的抗老化性能提供了理论支持。