Storage Stability and Phase Separation Behaviour of Polymer-Modified Bitumen Characterization and Modelling

Polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) is a high-performance material for road construction and maintenance. But its storage stability and phase separation behaviour are still not sufficiently understood and need to be studied toward a more successful and sustainable application of PMB. In this thesis, the equilibrium thermodynamics and phase separation dynamics of PMB are investigated with the aim at a fundamental understanding on PMB storage stability and phase separation behaviour. The development of polymer modifiers for paving bitumen is reviewed. The phase separation process in unstable PMBs is captured by fluorescence microscopy at the storage temperature (180 °C). A coupled phase-field model of diffusion and flow is developed to simulate and predict the PMB storage stability and phase separation behaviour. The temperature dependency of PMB phase separation behaviour is modelled by introducing temperature-dependent model parameters between 140 °C and 180 °C. This model is implemented in a finite element software package and calibrated with the experimental observations of real PMBs. The results indicate that storage stability and phase separation behaviour of PMB are strongly dependent on the specific combination of the base bitumen and polymer. An unstable PMB starts to separate into two phases by diffusion, because of the poor polymerbitumen compatibility. Once the density difference between the two phases becomes sufficiently significant, gravity starts to drive the flow of the two phases and accelerates the separation in the vertical direction. The proposed model, based on the Cahn-Hilliard equation, Flory-Huggins theory and Navier-Stokes equations, is capable of capturing the stability differences among the investigated PMBs and their distinct microstructures at different temperatures. The various material parameters of the PMBs determine the differences in the phase separation behaviour in terms of stability and temperature dependency. The developed model is able to simulate and explain the resulting differences due to the material parameters. The outcome of this study may thus assist in future efforts of ensuring storage stability and sustainable application of PMB.