Author : Kishan K.Vachhani and C.B. Mishra

Age solidifying of bitumen is induced by chemical and/or physical changes and is usually accompanied by hardening of the binder. In road applications, binder is exposed to aging at three different stages: storage, mixing, transport and laying, as well as during service life. India is a country having varied climate and excessive stress and strains on the road in a limited road space is there. The pavement deterioration is experienced due to high and low temperatures in some region. Further deterioration is due to increase in traffic density, axle loading and tyre pressure and an insufficient degree of maintenance. Moreover, exorbitant solidifying can likewise debilitate the grip between the bitumen and total, bringing about loss of materials at the surface layer what’s more produce debilitating of the bitument mixture. In order achieve desired engineering properties, it is utmost important to modify the binders by adding additives for application of road bituminous mixes with higher performance. The chemistry of binder is very complex and is even more complex after the admixture of modifier. In the present study, physical properties of VG 30 grade bitumen with and without reactive ethylene terpolymer (Elvaloy® 4170) is found. The short-term aging of bitumen binder is simulated in the laboratory by conditioning a thin film oven test at a high temperature, for a short duration.

Keywords: Modifier, bitumen, aging, ethylene terpolymer.

Article published in International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.4, No.6 (Dec-2014)