Asphalt modification with used lubricating oil

Abstract

The viability of used lubricating oil as an asphalt modifier was studied, with the enhancement of the low-temperature grade as the specific goal. Used oil modification was found to improve the Superpave low-temperature performance grade (PG), but at the expense of the high-temperature PG grade. When evaluated according to the Superpave MP1 specification, the low-temperature grade of the modified asphalt was not significantly improved due to failure of the bending beam rheometer (BBR) test’s m value. When evaluated according to the Superpave MP1a specification, the modified asphalt overall PG grade temperature spread remained essentially constant, varying only by approximately two degrees. The asphalt took as much as 12% of oil and still had less than the maximum limit of 1.0% rolling thin film oven test (RTFOT) mass loss (emissions). However, the oil may possibly have a detrimental effect on the asphalt quality, such as reduced adhesiveness to the aggregates, leading to stripping and raveling. The field performance test should be checked before considering lubricating oil as a modifier.