The effects of adding nano clay and nano zinc oxide on asphalt cement rheology
Bara’ W. Al-Mistarehi, Aslam A. Al-Omari, Madhar Taamneh, Rana Imam, Deya' Al-Deen Khafaja
Abstract
This study aims at investigating the effects on asphalt cement (AC) rheology when adding Nano Clay (NC) and Nano Zinc Oxide (NZnO) compounds. The tested contents of NC were 8%, 10%, and 12%, while those of NZnO were 1%, 2%, and 3% by weight of the AC. The study used AC of 60/70 penetration grade, since it is the most commonly used in the Middle East region. Different tests were performed on both the control AC (CAC) and modified AC (MAC), including: dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), Softening point (SP), penetration, flash and fire points (FFP), bending beam rheometer (BBR), and viscosity tests. The results of these tests demonstrated that the used modifiers tend to decrease the penetration values but increase the FFP, viscosity, and SP values. A slight improvement in the rheological properties of AC at high temperatures was also evident from the addition of NC or NZnO. Furthermore, the addition of either modifier led to significant improvements at low temperature conditions in both performance and cracking resistance of the AC. The optimum modifiers of NC and NZnO were found to be 10% and 3% by weight of the AC, respectively.