Ziari Hassan, Nasiriamiri Elaheh, Ayar Pooyan
School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 23;15(1):26687. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11506-9.
Cold Mix Asphalt (CMA) is a sustainable alternative to conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) due to its lower energy consumption and reduced environmental impact. However, CMAs often suffer from high moisture susceptibility, prolonged curing times, and inadequate mechanical performance. This study investigates the potential of calcium alginate capsules (CA capsules) containing waste sunflower oil (WSO) and waste engine oil (WEO) to improve CMA performance. Unlike previous research focusing on self-healing aspect of rejuvenating capsules, this work evaluates the impact of these CA capsules on curing efficiency, strength development, and mechanical behavior under different curing times and compaction methods: Marshall Compacted Mixture (MCM) and Gyratory Compacted Mixture (GCM). CA capsules were characterized using the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM)-EDS-Map and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and mechanical properties of CMA samples were assessed via indirect tensile strength (ITS), tensile strength ratio (TSR), rutting, and semi-circular bending (SCB) fracture tests.Weight measurements taken over the curing period showed that mixtures containing 0.5% CA capsules experienced greater moisture loss, thereby accelerating the curing process. GCM samples exhibited up to 90% higher ITS values than MCM samples, while samples with CA capsules showed an average 7-15% decrease in dry ITS. TSR values increased by up to 10% with 0.5% CA capsule addition, indicating improved moisture resistance. Fracture energy increased by 18-22% at - 20 °C in samples with 1% WSO, despite a slight reduction in fracture toughness. ANOVA analysis confirmed that compaction method had the greatest influence on ITS, TSR, and fracture energy, while CA capsule type mainly affected rutting depth. CA capsules with WEO led to deeper ruts than WSO, suggesting better compatibility of WSO with the asphalt matrix. These findings highlight that incorporating oil-based CA capsules-especially at 0.5-1% content-not only improves curing efficiency but also enhances the durability and sustainability of CMAs, particularly under low-temperature and high-moisture conditions.
冷拌沥青(CMA)因其较低的能耗和较小的环境影响,是传统热拌沥青(HMA)的一种可持续替代方案。然而,CMA常常存在高湿度敏感性、固化时间长以及机械性能不足等问题。本研究调查了含有废葵花籽油(WSO)和废机油(WEO)的海藻酸钙胶囊(CA胶囊)改善CMA性能的潜力。与以往专注于再生胶囊自愈合方面的研究不同,本工作评估了这些CA胶囊在不同固化时间和压实方法(马歇尔压实混合料(MCM)和旋转压实混合料(GCM))下对固化效率、强度发展和力学行为的影响。使用场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)-能谱仪-图谱和热重分析(TGA)对CA胶囊进行了表征,并通过间接拉伸强度(ITS)、拉伸强度比(TSR)、车辙和半圆弯曲(SCB)断裂试验评估了CMA样品的力学性能。在固化期间进行的重量测量表明,含有0.5%CA胶囊的混合料水分损失更大,从而加速了固化过程。GCM样品的ITS值比MCM样品高出90%,而含有CA胶囊的样品干燥ITS平均降低了7-15%。添加0.5%CA胶囊后,TSR值提高了高达10%,表明耐湿性有所改善。在-20°C下,含有1%WSO的样品的断裂能增加了18-22%,尽管断裂韧性略有降低。方差分析证实,压实方法对ITS、TSR和断裂能的影响最大,而CA胶囊类型主要影响车辙深度。含有WEO的CA胶囊比WSO导致的车辙更深,这表明WSO与沥青基体的相容性更好。这些发现突出表明,加入油基CA胶囊——尤其是含量为0.5-1%时——不仅能提高固化效率,还能增强CMA的耐久性和可持续性,特别是在低温和高湿度条件下。