Optimizing asphalt binder performance with various PET types

Abstract

Abstract The efficacy of a pavement system is significantly influenced by the condition of the road pavement. Improving pavement quality is essentially the key to reducing problems with fatigue cracks and rutting on roads. One of its tenets is changing and enhancing asphalt’s performance by use of various additives. One of the plastics having the highest recycling rates across various nations is polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. Since virgin PET (V-PET) and recycled PET (R-PET) cannot currently be analytically separated from one another, numerous indirect approaches have been developed to achieve this. According to one idea, recycling PET causes polymer chains to break, which alters the material’s structural, mechanical, and thermal characteristics. R-PET and V-PET can therefore be distinguished from one another. Temperature and load stress cause asphalt pavement damage, especially rutting. In order to reduce the issue of road rutting, several measures have been implemented, such as enhancing the quality of pavement and improving the procedures used for structural design. In recent years, engineers have shown a growing interest in enhancing the performance of asphalt by incorporating various additives and substituting raw materials with virgin and recycled materials. This approach aims to improve environmental sustainability and reduce the cost of modified pavement mixtures. The purpose of the study is to assess the effect of modifying bitumen of grade 40–50 with V-PET. This study examined the use of V-PET as an asphalt modifier, at varying concentrations of 1, 2, and 4% by weight of asphalt. The study aimed to assess the influence of these concentrations on the performance of asphalt under high temperature conditions. The results demonstrated that the addition of 2% V-PET to the asphalt binder significantly improved the characteristics of the asphalt, resulting in increased resistance to rutting in the pavement.