ABSTRACT
The increase in the number of trucks and other heavy vehicles in highways lead to cracking and deteriorations in flexible highway. Polymer additives such as Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) are used in the bituminous binder satisfactorily to extend service life of pavements. However, polymer additives increase considerably construction cost of flexible pavement. Hence, using recycled polymers as a modifier in bitumen has been gain traction in recent years considering environmental protection, lower energy consumption, and their affordable cost. The aim of this paper is to study the usage of recycled PP (PPR) as modifier on bitumen However, normally there is no chemical reaction between recycled polymers and bitumen. To this end, surface of the PPR was exposed to ion Irradiation (I-PPR) which creates double bonds (>C = C<) on recycled polymer that can interact with bitumen. Five samples having different I-PPR modifier amounts of 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9% total weight of mixture. The effects of I-PPR on the bitumen were investigated by means of chemical and physical testing program; including Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy, conventional tests, Rotational Viscosity (RV) and Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) test. Tests results reveals that the using waste polymers in bitumen by means of ion irradiation process, since increased I-PPR modifier content in bitumen leads to an increased rutting parameter which means permanent deformation in flexible pavement can be restrained by I-PPR modification.
