Multiscale mechanisms of asphalt performance enhancement by crumbed waste tire rubber: insight from molecular dynamics simulation

The recycling of waste tires is a major environmental problem facing mankind, and the addition crumbed tire rubber (CWTB) to base asphalt an extremely promising method. However, modification mechanism CWTB not well understood, which restricts development modified asphalt. In this study, was explored by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), molecular (MD) simulations. After verifying reasonableness using glass transition temperature, simulated experimented. results showed that enhanced high temperature performance microscopic phenomenon occurs has largest binding energy with aromatics (1150–1350 kcal/mol), followed saturates (740–830 resins (90–330 smallest asphaltenes (100–140 causes absorb light components (aromatics saturates). addition, introduction reduces diffusion coefficient process, will gradually swell, bind more tightly asphalt, eventually good transferred macroscopic manifestation process rutting factor CWTB-modified significantly higher than virgin This study can provide basic theoretical support for application