ISSN 2320 -5083 Journal of Internationalpolyethylene (PE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and...

Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary

ISSN 2320 -5083

A Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, Monthly, Open Access, Online Research Journal

Impact Factor – 1.393

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 10 NOVEMBER 2013

A GLOBAL SOCIETY FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

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A GREEN PUBLISHING HOUSE

Editorial Board

Dr. Kari Jabbour, Ph.D Curriculum Developer, American College of Technology, Missouri, USA.

Er.Chandramohan, M.S System Specialist - OGP ABB Australia Pvt. Ltd., Australia.

Dr. S.K. Singh Chief Scientist Advanced Materials Technology Department Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology Bhubaneswar, India

Dr. Jake M. Laguador Director, Research and Statistics Center, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines.

Prof. Dr. Sharath Babu, LLM Ph.D Dean. Faculty of Law, Karnatak University Dharwad, Karnataka, India

Dr.S.M Kadri, MBBS, MPH/ICHD, FFP Fellow, Public Health Foundation of India Epidemiologist Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kashmir, India

Dr.Bhumika Talwar, BDS Research Officer State Institute of Health & Family Welfare Jaipur, India

Dr. Tej Pratap Mall Ph.D Head, Postgraduate Department of Botany, Kisan P.G. College, Bahraich, India.

Dr. Arup Kanti Konar, Ph.D Associate Professor of Economics Achhruram, Memorial College, SKB University, Jhalda,Purulia, West Bengal. India

Dr. S.Raja Ph.D Research Associate, Madras Research Center of CMFR , Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Chennai, India

Dr. Vijay Pithadia, Ph.D, Director - Sri Aurobindo Institute of Management Rajkot, India.

Er. R. Bhuvanewari Devi M. Tech, MCIHT Highway Engineer, Infrastructure, Ramboll, Abu Dhabi, UAE Sanda Maican, Ph.D. Senior Researcher, Department of Ecology, Taxonomy and Nature Conservation Institute of Biology of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania Dr. Reynalda B. Garcia Professor, Graduate School & College of Education, Arts and Sciences Lyceum of the Philippines University Philippines Dr.Damarla Bala Venkata Ramana Senior Scientist Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) Hyderabad, A.P, India PROF. Dr.S.V.Kshirsagar, M.B.B.S,M.S Head - Department of Anatomy, Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences, Karnataka, India. Dr Asifa Nazir, M.B.B.S, MD, Assistant Professor, Dept of Microbiology Government Medical College, Srinagar, India. Dr.AmitaPuri, Ph.D Officiating Principal Army Inst. Of Education New Delhi, India Dr. Shobana Nelasco Ph.D Associate Professor, Fellow of Indian Council of Social Science Research (On Deputation}, Department of Economics, Bharathidasan University, Trichirappalli. India M. Suresh Kumar, PHD Assistant Manager, Godrej Security Solution, India. Dr.T.Chandrasekarayya,Ph.D Assistant Professor, Dept Of Population Studies & Social Work, S.V.University, Tirupati, India.

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY Impact Factor 1.393, ISSN: 2320-5083, Volume 1, Issue 10, November 2013

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IMPACT OF POLYETHYLENE POLYMER ADDITIVE ON HOT MIX ASPHALT

DR. RIADH A. ABASS*

*Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Al-Muthanna University, Iraq

ABSTRACT

The increase in road traffic during the last two decades in combination with an

insufficient degree of maintenance due to shortage in funds has caused an accelerated and

continuous deterioration of the road To alleviate the process, several types of measures may

be effective, e.g., securing funds for maintenance, improved roadway design, use of better

quality of materials the use of more effective construction methods. The use of polymer in

asphalt mixture as a modifier and started in the 80s of the last century and has been tested in a

number of countries around the World. In this research, polyethylene as one sort of polymers

is used to investigate the potential prospects to enhance asphalt mixture properties. The

objectives also include determining the best ratio of it Marshall Mix design was used, First to

determine the optimum bitumen binder content and then further to test the modified mixture

properties. In total, samples were prepared (21 samples were used to determine the binder

content and the remaining samples were used to investigate the effect of modifying the

asphalt mixtures). The optimum asphalt content was 5%. Five proportions of polyethylene

and state by weight of the optimum binder content was selected to be tested (2, 4, 6, 8, 10,

and 12%). The tests include the determination of bulk density, stability and flow. Marshall

Mix design requires the determination of the percentages of air voids and air voids of mineral

aggregate. The results indicated proportion of the modifier is 12% by the weight of bitumen

content. It is found to increase the stability, increase the density and slightly increase the air

voids and the voids of mineral aggregate.

1- INTRODUCTION

Transport has an important positive role in the economic Social, and cultural functioning of

cities. In many cities today it is also generating significant economic and social costs. These

costs arise from the external effects of traffic. Asphalt is a viscous material that is derived

from crude petroleum and is used in paving roads. Asphalt is generally understood to include

asphaltenes, resins, and oils. While asphalt is primarily contains elements such as oxygen,

nitrogen, and sulfur. Asphalt has an extremely diverse molecular structure depending on the

crude source.


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Asphalts are thermoplastic materials--that is, they gradually Asphalts are thermoplastic

materials--that is, they gradually liquefy when heated. Asphalts are characterized by their

stiffness, consistency, or ability to flow at different temperatures. Asphalt that has been

specially prepared for use in pavement by controlling its quality and consistency is called

asphalt cement.

Asphalt cement is ordinarily used in a "hot mix" pavement composition that also contains

coarse and fine aggregate. This composition, also called asphalt concrete, is blended at

specified composition, also called asphalt concrete, is blended at specified temperature,

applied to the roadbed, and compacted with rollers to produce a smooth driving surface.

1-1Why Modify?

Improve pavement durability and Lower life cycle costs.

Increase serviceably temperature range.

Soften at low temperature.

Stiffen at high temperature.

Improve flexibility at all temperatures.

Improve asphalt - aggregate bond.

Improve asphalt film thickness.

1-2Modifier Reduce:

permanent deformation

cracking

drain down

pavement thickness

raveling

stripping

fatigue damage

life cycle costs

1-3what is modifiers

Polymers

Asphalt Rubber

Chemical modifiers

Fibers & Fillers

Modification through processing.


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properties of asphalt-polymer blends depend on the concentrations of about 2 -12% by

Asphalts with polymers from multiphase systems, which usually contain a phase rich in

polymer and a phase rich in asphaltenes not absorbed by the polymer. The properties of

asphalt-polymer blends depend on the concentrations and the type of polymer used.

Polymers used for asphalt modification can be grouped into three main categories:

thermoplastic elastomers, plastomers, and reactive polymers. Thermoplastic elastomers are

obviously able to confer good elastic properties on the modified binder; while plastomers and

reactive polymers are added to improve rigidity and reduce deformations under load.

Examples of the plastomeric types of polymers studied for asphalt modification are

polyethylene (PE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene-butyl acrylate (EBA) random

copolymers polyethylene to be used and its proportion.

There is one type of polyethylene was added to coat the aggregate (Low Density

Polyethylene (LDPE)). The polymers were introduced to the mixture in two states (Grinded

and not Grinded).

The main objectives of this research study are modified asphalt for surface layer of road and

improve performance of hot mix asphalt.

2- Literature Review:

Al-Dubabe and Al-Abdul Wahhab [1] tried to evaluate the effect of the polymer modified

Arab asphalt. They collected asphalt binders from four refineries in the Gulf Countries. They

found that the addition of polypropylene was increase the softening point of original asphalt

by (5%) They added that polypropylene modification is effective in improving the

rheological properties of neat Arab asphalt binders.

Al-Hadedy A.IJ. [2]. Studied the rheological properties of asphalt–Polyethylene mixes .He

found that the softening point increases as the concentration of polyethylene increases the

ductility values remains (100+cm) up to (11%) polyethylene content, results indicated that

polyethylene and asphalt are compatible to extent, while he concluded that the inclusion of

polyethylene with asphalt concrete mixtures gave a quit satisfactory results (i.e. in terms of

stability values, other Marshall properties and the adhesion between asphalt and aggregates,

were improved, stripping phenomenon was reduced).

WladysiMilkowski [3] used polyethylene as an additive to achieve asphalt concrete of much

higher stability and lower thermal susceptibility. He found that the addition of polyethylene


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in small percents, reduce penetration, increased the softening point and increased the shear

strength of asphalt joints.

Lamia A. Ahmed[4] is makes and test laboratory specimens by using percentages of polymer

content those are (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% and12%) percent by weight of asphalt content .the

polymer modified mixes were designed in accordance with Marshall Method. She found that

the engineering properties of polymer modified mixes (stability –flow – bulk density –percent

of voids in total mix and percent of voids filled with asphalt) meet the requirements of the

S.O.R.B. specification for the asphalt mix used in the construction of surface course. The

Marshall stability for modified mixes is higher than of control mixes. She concluded that

adding malefic anhydrite grafted polyethylene leads to increase mixture workability and

efficiency of compaction for modified mixes .and decrease the air voids in total mix and

increase flow value.

SinanHınıslıoğlu, a,b , EmineAğarb [5]. They were investigate that the influence of various

plastic wastes containing HDPE-modified binder on the Marshall Stability, flow and Marshall

Quotient (Stability to flow ratio). HDPE-modified binder obtained by various mixing time,

mixing temperature and HDPE content. The binders used in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) were

prepared by mixing the HDPE in 4–6% and 8% (by the weight of optimum bitumen content)

and AC-20 at temperatures of 145-155 and 165 °C and 5–15 and 30 min of mixing time.

HDPE-modified asphalt concrete results in a considerable increase in the Marshall Stability

strength value and a Marshall Quotient value (resistance to Deformation). Four percent

increased 50% compared to control mix. It can be said that waste HDPE-modified bituminous

binders provide better resistance against permanent deformations due to their high stability

and high Marshall Quotient and it contributes to recirculation of plastic wastes as well as to

protection of the environment.

3- Materials:

Hot- mix or (asphalt concrete mix) consist of aggregate (coarse, fine, mineral filler) and

bituminous. To modify this mix add additive such as (polymer polyethylene).

3-1 Aggregates:

Aggregates shall be of uniform quality, crushed to size as necessary and shall be composed of

sound, tough, durable particles, with or without natural or mineral filler, as required. All

materials shall be clean, free from injurious amounts of clay balls and clay coated particles,

gypsum, organic matter and other deleterious substance.


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Deleterious materials as determined in accordance with AASHTO T 112 shall not exceed

3%by weight. The plasticity index shall not exceed 4 as by ASSHO T89 and T90 for total

aggregate and mineral filler of fraction passing NO 4 (prepared in accordance with

AASHTO-T146)[6].

Properly selected and graded aggregates are mixed with the cementing medium asphalt to

form pavements .aggregates are the principal load –supporting components of an asphalt

concrete pavement. The physical properties of aggregates (coarse, fine, mineral filler) shown

in table (3-1).

Aggregate formed of 90 to 95 percent of the mixture by weight and 75 to 85 percent by

volume. So we can define the aggregate properties as follow:

1. Toughness and abrasion

2. Durability and soundness

3. Cleanliness and deleterious materials

4. Particle shape and surface texture

5. Gradation and size

6. Specific gravity and absorption.

Table (3-1) Physical Properties of Aggregates (coarse, fine, mineral filler)

Property Coarse

Aggregate

Fine

Aggregate

Mineral

Filler

Bulk Specific Gravity ( ASTM[8] C127 and C128) 2.6 2.63 -

Apparent Specific Gravity ( ASTM C127 and C128) 2.641 2.6802 3.13

Percent Water Absorption ( ASTM C127 and C128) 0.423 0.542 -

Percent Wear ( Los-Angeles Abrasion) (ASTM C131) 20.1 - -

3-2 bitumen (Asphalt):

Asphalt is a viscous material that is derived from crude petroleum and is used in paving

roads. Asphalt is generally understood to include asphaltenes, resins, and oils. While asphalt

is primarily composed of hydrocarbon molecules (hydrogen and carbon), it also contains

elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Asphalt has an extremely diverse molecular

structure depending on the crude source. Asphalts are thermoplastic materials--that is, they

gradually liquefy when heated. Asphalts are characterized by their stiffness, consistency, or

ability to flow at different temperatures.


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Asphalt that has been specially prepared for use in pavement by controlling its quality and

consistency is called asphalt cement. Asphalt cement is ordinarily used in a "hot mix"

pavement composition that also contains coarse and fine aggregate.

A problem with all applications that involve asphalt is the tendency for the asphalt to become

brittle at low temperatures and to become soft at high temperatures. This change due to

temperature is called "temperature susceptibility". Some asphalts, depending on crude oil

source and refining practice are more temperature susceptible than others.

The asphalt cement shall conform to the requirements of viscosity-graded asphalt cement

used in hot mix asphalt concrete. The requirements for penetration-graded of asphalt cement

used shall be prepared by refining of crude petroleum, it shall be homogeneous, free from

water and shall not foam when heated to 1800C. The physical properties of asphalt shows in

table (3-2).

Table (3-2) Physical Properties of Asphalt

Test Unit Penetration

Grade (40-50)

Penetration (25°C, 100g, 5sec) ASTM D5. 1/10 mm 48

Ductility (25°C, 5cm/min) ASTM D113. Cm >140

Softening point (ring & ball) ASTM D36. °C 52.75

3-3 Additive (Polymer Polyethylene):

Engineering polymers include natural materials such as rubber and synthetic materials such

as plastics and elastomers. Polymers are very useful materials because their structures can be

altered and tailored to produce materials

A polymer is composed of many simple molecules that are repeating structural units called

monomers. A single polymer molecule may consist of hundreds to a million monomers and

may have a linear, branched, or network structure. Figure (3-1) shows the single polymer

molecule.

Figure (3-1) Single Polymer Molecule


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The ability for molecules to form long chains is a vital to producing polymers. Consider the

material polyethylene, which is made from ethane gas, C2H6. Ethane gas has a two carbon

atoms in the chain and each of the two carbon atoms share two valence electrons with the

other. If two molecules of ethane are brought together, one of the carbon bonds in each

molecule can be broken and the two molecules can be joined with a carbon to carbon bond.

After the two mers are joined, there are still two free valence electrons at each end of the

chain for joining other mers or polymer chains. The process can continue liking more mers

and polymers together until it is stopped by the addition of anther chemical (a terminator),

that fills the available bond at each end of the molecule. This is called a linear polymer and is

building block for thermoplastic polymers. Figure (3-2) shows the polyethylene chains.

Figure (3-2) polyethylene chains

Since these materials are essentially comprised of one giant molecule, there is no movement

between molecules once the mass has set. Thermosetting polymers are more rigid and

generally have higher strength than thermoplastic polymers. Also, since there is no

opportunity for motion between molecules in a thermosetting polymer, they will not become

plastic when heated.

Polymers used for asphalt modification can be grouped into three main categories:

thermoplastic elastomers, plastomers, and reactive polymers. Thermoplastic elastomers are

obviously able to confer good elastic properties on the modified binder; while plastomers and

reactive polymers are added to improve rigidity and reduce deformations under load. Six

percentages (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 %) of Polyethylene polymer modifier are added to asphalt

concrete mixture at optimum asphalt content (5%) for 12.5 mm aggregate maximum size.

4- Results and Discussions:

Five different percentages of asphalt contents (4.5, 4.75, 5, 5.25&5.5) % by weight of

mixture and 12.5 mm aggregate maximum size are used with Portland cement as a filler.

The relations between asphalt content and Marshall Properties are typical to common

trend in asphalt content mixes. The optimum asphalt content is 5%, it is determined from

three Marshall Properties (stability, bulk density, and 4% air voids) and checked with the


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other Marshall properties of flow, VMA, and VFA to be within the specification limits of

SCRB shown in Table (4-1).

Table (4-1) S.C.R.B.[7] Specification Limits and at 5% O.A.C

12.5mm A.M.S S.C.R.B Specification

Limits

Properties

10.2 8 minimum Marshall Stability (kN)

2.321 - Bulk Density (gm/cm3)

3.5 2-4 Marshall Flow (mm)

4.1 3-5 Air Voids (%)

75 65-85 Voids Filled with Bitumen (%)

16.6 14 minimum Voids in Mineral Aggregate (%)

4-1 Marshall Properties with adding polymer Polyethylene:

4-1-1: Marshall Stability:

Figure (4-1) illustrates the relationship between Marshall Stability and modified content. It is

obvious that there is an optimum modified content which yields maximum Marshall Stability,

and this value is 6%. The higher stability value was obtained with mixes modified with 6%

modified, this is because the addition of modified to the asphalt binder increased its stiffness

and reduced its viscous at high service temperature.

Figure (4-1)


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4-1-2 Marshall Flow:

Figure (4-2) shows that, in general, the 0% modified mixes give higher values of Marshall

Flow than those given by modified mixes. This indicates that Polyethylene Polymer particles

decrease the Marshall flow as it replaces asphalt (liquid) by the Polyethylene particles. Also,

increasing the percentages of Polyethylene content in the mixture will increase the

workability and the adhesion between the components of the mixture. Therefore; the relative

displacement between adjacent aggregate particles under compressive load increases by

increasing Polyethylene content, so there is a decrease in flow values.

Figure (4-2)

4-1-3 Bulk Density:

Figure (4-3) shows that the bulk density value for original mix (0% polymer content) is lower

than these of various polyethylene polymer modified mixes .Figure (4-3) also shows that,

increases in modified percent cause an increase in bulk density for different modified mixes.

Figure (4-3)


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4-1-4 Air Voids:

Figure (4-4) shows the relationship between the percent of voids in total mix and modified

content for different mixes included in this study. It can be noticed that, percent of VTM

decreases with the increasing percent of modified content. The figure shows that percent of

Air voids for all modified mixes is higher than that of original mix. Figure (4-4) also shows

that, increases in polyethylene polymer percent cause a decrease in air voids for modified

mixes.

Figure (4-4)

4-1-5: Voids Filled with Asphalt (VFA):

Figure (4-5) shows the relationship between the percent of voids filled with asphalt (%VFA)

against modified content for various mixes. This figure indicates that the (%VFA) for all

modified mixes is lower than that of the original mix. The low value of (%VFA) can be

explained, as follows: the modified mixes have high (%VTM) in comparison with original

mixes. The increase in (%VTM) causes a reduction in (%VFA). Figure (4-4) also shows that,

increases in modified percent cause by an increase in voids filled with asphalt for different

modified mixes.

Figure (4-5)

4-1-6: Voids in Mineral Aggregate (VMA):


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Figure (4-6) shows that the VMA decrease when the modified content are increased until

10% and this behavior illustrates the increase in bulk density.

Figure (4-6)

4-1-7: Marshall Stiffness (Stability/Flow):

Marshall Stiffness is defined as the ratio between the Marshall stability and Marshall Flow

[Manlouk and Gadallah (1980)]. It is not required by S.C.R.B specification (2003) and it has

been adopted in this study because stiffness represents combination of stability and flow in

single value. The high Marshall Stiffness means that asphalt mixture has good resistance to

plastic flow resulting from traffic loading when this mix is used in pavements. Also, high

value of stability of asphalt mixes does not mean that it has good resistance to plastic flow for

high flow values which will have low Marshall Stiffness.

Marshall Stiffness for Polyethylene polymer for different contents is shown in Figure (4-7).

The increase in Polyethylene polymer Content causes an increase in stiffness.

Figure (4-7)


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4-2 Effect of Optimum Modified Content on Number of Wheel Passes:

The results of the Wheel Tracking test are displayed in Table (4-2). It can be seen that the

polyethylene polymer modified asphalt mixtures show the highest reduction in rut depth as

compared with the unmodified control mixtures

.

Table (4-2) Number of Wheel Passes

5- Recommendations:

1. The performance of modified asphalt mixes under the effect of water by means of wheel

tracking test can be studied.

2. Similar study can be conducted using other types of additives such as (Ethyl Vinyl

Acetate (EVA); Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS); Iron; Sulfur; Polypropylene; etc…).

3. Similar study can be conducted by wheel tracking test using other types of stress-

relieving interlayer such as (gravel or crushed rock layer; fabric; steel reinforcement;

dense bituminous macadam (BDM); Fiber class interlayer; chicken wire interlayer.

4. The performance of overlay on cracked pavement after maintenance and using stress-

relieving interlayer can be investigated by wheel tracking test.

5. Other grades of asphalt cement can be used in preparing of modified mixes such as soft

asphalt (i.e. 60-70, and 85-100).

% modified

Average rut depth ( mm ) Reduction in

Rut Depth

compared with

Base AC

At 1000

Cycles

At 5000

Cycles

At 10000

Cycles

Control mix 4.7 8.3 10.7 -

2 4.2 7 8.7 15.3%

4 3.9 6.6 8.2 20%

6 3.3 6.1 7.3 29.7%

8 3.1 5.8 6.8 33.7%

10 2.8 5.5 6.4 38%

12 2.5 5 6 43.7%


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7- REFERENCES 1. Al-Dubabe, I. A. Al-Abdul Wahhab H.I Asi , I.M and Mohammed F.A. "Polymer Modification

of Arab Asphalt", J. Transp. Engrg. ACSE, Vol.10, No.3 (1998) (cited by Ref. 80).

2. Al-Hadedy, Abd. - R. I. J., "Influence of Polyethylene and Sulfur Wastes on Characteristics of

Asphalt Paving Materials", M.SC, University of Al-Mustansiriyah (2001).

3. WladyslawMilkowski, "Catalytic Modification of Road Asphalt by Polyethylene", Journal,

Transp. Engrg., Vol.11, No.1, (1985).

4. Lamia A. Ahmed, "Improvement of Marshall Properties of the Asphalt Concrete Mixtures Using

the Polyethylene as Additive", 2006.

5. SinanHınıslıoğlu, a,b , EmineAğarb, "Use of waste high density polyethylene as bitumen

modifier in asphalt concrete mix" Civil Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Atatürk

University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey, Volume 58, Issues 3–4, January 2004, Pages 267–271

6. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials AASHTO

(1986):"AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures- 1986", Washington. D.C.

7. State Cooperation of Roads and Bridge (SCRB), Section R9 (2003): "Hot Mix Asphalt Concrete

Pavement", Iraq Standard Specification, Ministry of Housing and Construction, Department of

Design and Study.

8. American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM (1989): "Soil and Rock; Building Stones; Geotextile", Vol. 04-08.

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