Application of Surface Free Energy to Evaluate Moisture-Induced Damage of Evotherm Warm Mix Bitumen
摘要
Warm mix asphalt (WMA) has emerged as a viable technology for lowering production and compaction temperatures in pavement construction, leading to both economic advantages and environmental gains. Nevertheless, the reduced compaction temperature in WMA can bring certain drawbacks, including limited mix aging and possible moisture retention within aggregates, which may affect pavement durability. This study focuses on evaluating the moisture sensitivity of WMA binders and mixtures using the surface free energy (SFE) approach. The analysis involves determining the SFE characteristics of different binders (VG30, PMB40, and chemical-based modified binder) as well as limestone and basalt aggregates, applying the VoCG theoretical framework. To assess moisture-related damage risks, the research calculates parameters such as the work of adhesion, the work of adhesion under wet conditions, and energy ratios for various aggregate–binder combinations. Results indicate that incorporating Evotherm enhances SFE-related properties, signifying stronger bonding between binder and aggregates. Moreover, limestone was found to exhibit a greater work of adhesion with binder–aggregate blends, while basalt demonstrated higher bonding strength in terms of the energy ratio (ER). Specifically, the ER values for basalt aggregates reached 3.10 and 1.68% for VG30 + CB-WMA and PMB40 + CB-WMA, respectively both outperforming the control binder.