Revealing time-dependent behavior of asphalt binder at low-temperature by crystallization kinetics

To gain deeper insights into the influence of thermal history on wax crystallization and thermoreversible aging for enhanced asphalt pavement durability, this study employed the extended bending beam rheometer (ExBBR) test and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) analysis. These techniques were utilized to analyze the crystallization kinetics of diverse asphalt binders under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. The ExBBR test results demonstrated that the cold-temperature performance of asphalt binders experiences continuous degradation with an increasing grade loss during conditioning. The Avrami isothermal crystallization kinetic theory proved to be an accurate descriptor of the thermoreversible aging tendency in asphalt binders. MDSC test findings revealed that distinct cooling rates exert an influence solely on specific asphalt varieties, with discrepancies in thermal signals arising from diverse oil sources. The Ozawa exponent, determined through the endothermic background area selected from the baseline, serves as a reliable guide for assessing the degree of thermoreversible aging in different asphalt binders. Crucially, the appearance of crystallizable fractions in asphalt binders with varying thermal histories can be effectively modeled using both isothermal Avrami and non isothermal Ozawa theoretical frameworks. To conclude, the study undertook the separation of four components of asphalt, analyzing the microstructural evolution of these components under identical test conditions. The contribution of each component to the asphalt crystallization process is comprehensively expounded through considerations of glass transition temperatures, as well as endothermic and exothermic peaks associated with distinct components.