Research on the Rheological Characteristics and Aging Resistance of Asphalt Modified with Tourmaline

Abstract

Tourmaline modified asphalt (TMA) binders were prepared with different modifier types and contents in this research. The routine properties, rheological properties, and aging resistance were evaluated to research the function of tourmaline on the performances of asphalt binders. Test results show that the storage stability can be improved significantly by the smaller particle size and negative-ion treated surface of tourmaline modifier. It indicates that the stiffness and rutting-resistance of TMA binder can be enhanced significantly, and the elastic component of the viscoelastic characteristic can also be increased. Moreover, the complex viscosity and the Zero Shear Viscosity (ZSV) values of tourmaline modified asphalt are increased within the test frequency range, which results in the improvement of deformation resistance of tourmaline modified asphalt. When mixed with asphalt, the tourmaline modifier maintains a two-phase structure, which results in the good rheological property for tourmaline modified asphalt.