Hot mix asphalt (HMA) consists of aggregate particles bonded together by asphalt binder at high heat. Petroleum-based asphalt is widely used in road and other infrastructure construction. However, high oil prices and tight asphalt supply have recently doubled asphalt prices. Industries are therefore seeking an alternative binder for HMA. Alternative binders such as fly ash, silica fume, and ground granulated blast-furnace slag have been used, as have sulfur, coal tar, manure-based bio-oil, or plant-based bio-oil, but each raises concerns about price and\/or performance. This project is seeking to develop a 100 percent waste cooking oil-based bioasphalt modified with lignin-derived epoxy (LEP). Both waste cooking oil and lignin (found in plant tissues and burned in pulp mills) are byproducts. The resulting bioasphalt will have comparable or superior material properties to those of traditional petroleum-based binders, resistant to fatigue, rutting, thermal cracking, and moisture susceptibility. And being based on industry byproducts, it will reduce the need to procure virgin materials, reduce energy consumption, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as cost significantly less than petroleum-based asphalt.<\/p>\n
Principal Investigators: Sponsor: FHWA Hot mix asphalt (HMA) consists of aggregate particles bonded together by asphalt binder at high heat. Petroleum-based asphalt is widely used in road and other infrastructure construction. However, high oil prices and tight asphalt supply have recently doubled asphalt prices. Industries are therefore seeking an alternative binder for HMA. Alternative binders such as fly ash, … Continue reading Novel Development of Bio-Based Binder for Sustainable Construction<\/span>
\nBalasingam Muhunthan<\/a>, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU
\nJinwen Zhang<\/a>, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, WSU
\nMichael Wolcott<\/a>, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU
\nJunna Xin<\/a>, Composite Materials and Engineering Center, WSU
\nKun Zhang<\/a>, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU<\/p>\n
\nFHWA Technical Contact: D. Confer
\nFHWA Project Manager: J. Youtcheff
\nScheduled completion: August 2018<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"