Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification
Recycling aged asphalt pavement has become increasingly important due to its environmental and economic advantages. Asphalt, serving as the binding agent for aggregates, plays a crucial role in pavement integrity. The deterioration of asphalt binder properties upon aging poses a significant challeng...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Construction Materials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7108/3/4/34 |
| _version_ | 1797381503795068928 |
|---|---|
| author | Qiuhao Chang Liangliang Huang Yuting Wu |
| author_facet | Qiuhao Chang Liangliang Huang Yuting Wu |
| author_sort | Qiuhao Chang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recycling aged asphalt pavement has become increasingly important due to its environmental and economic advantages. Asphalt, serving as the binding agent for aggregates, plays a crucial role in pavement integrity. The deterioration of asphalt binder properties upon aging poses a significant challenge to asphalt pavement recycling. Consequently, various rejuvenators have been developed to restore aged asphalt binder properties and facilitate pavement reclamation. Waste cooking oil (WCO) is a widely used rejuvenator that mitigates the high viscosity and brittleness of aged asphalt, preventing cracking. WCO consists of triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA), each with distinct molecular structures. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the individual effects of 10 wt.% TG and FFA on the viscosity, self-diffusion, and microstructure of aged asphalt at 1 atm and 404 K. The results demonstrate that both TG and FFA can reduce the viscosity of aged asphalt, albeit through different mechanisms. TG and FFA, characterized by high molecular mobility when dispersed in aged asphalt, enhance its mobility and reduce its viscosity. Additionally, TG effectively disrupts preferential interactions among asphaltenes, preventing their self-aggregation. In contrast, FFA has a limited impact on reducing these interactions. Furthermore, the study delves into the entanglement behaviors of FFA and TG with varying chain lengths within aged asphalt. Shorter chain lengths, as opposed to longer ones, exhibit a lower likelihood of entanglement with other asphalt molecules, resulting in increased molecular mobility and reduced asphalt viscosity. The fundamental insights gained from this research serve as a valuable reference for the application of waste cooking oil in the recycling of aged asphalt pavement. By shedding light on underlying molecular dynamics, this study contributes to the development of more effective and sustainable approaches to asphalt recycling. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:52:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30194c30844248eb8759a8f1d3d434a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-7108 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:52:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Construction Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-30194c30844248eb8759a8f1d3d434a62023-12-22T14:01:34ZengMDPI AGConstruction Materials2673-71082023-12-013454355710.3390/constrmater3040034Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt ModificationQiuhao Chang0Liangliang Huang1Yuting Wu2The Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New ZealandSchool of Sustainable Chemical, Biological & Materials Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USADepartment of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USARecycling aged asphalt pavement has become increasingly important due to its environmental and economic advantages. Asphalt, serving as the binding agent for aggregates, plays a crucial role in pavement integrity. The deterioration of asphalt binder properties upon aging poses a significant challenge to asphalt pavement recycling. Consequently, various rejuvenators have been developed to restore aged asphalt binder properties and facilitate pavement reclamation. Waste cooking oil (WCO) is a widely used rejuvenator that mitigates the high viscosity and brittleness of aged asphalt, preventing cracking. WCO consists of triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA), each with distinct molecular structures. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the individual effects of 10 wt.% TG and FFA on the viscosity, self-diffusion, and microstructure of aged asphalt at 1 atm and 404 K. The results demonstrate that both TG and FFA can reduce the viscosity of aged asphalt, albeit through different mechanisms. TG and FFA, characterized by high molecular mobility when dispersed in aged asphalt, enhance its mobility and reduce its viscosity. Additionally, TG effectively disrupts preferential interactions among asphaltenes, preventing their self-aggregation. In contrast, FFA has a limited impact on reducing these interactions. Furthermore, the study delves into the entanglement behaviors of FFA and TG with varying chain lengths within aged asphalt. Shorter chain lengths, as opposed to longer ones, exhibit a lower likelihood of entanglement with other asphalt molecules, resulting in increased molecular mobility and reduced asphalt viscosity. The fundamental insights gained from this research serve as a valuable reference for the application of waste cooking oil in the recycling of aged asphalt pavement. By shedding light on underlying molecular dynamics, this study contributes to the development of more effective and sustainable approaches to asphalt recycling.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7108/3/4/34asphalt pavement recyclingasphalt binderwaste cooking oilmolecular dynamics simulation |
| spellingShingle | Qiuhao Chang Liangliang Huang Yuting Wu Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification Construction Materials asphalt pavement recycling asphalt binder waste cooking oil molecular dynamics simulation |
| title | Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification |
| title_full | Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification |
| title_short | Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification |
| title_sort | evaluating the influence of waste cooking oil molecular structure on aged asphalt modification |
| topic | asphalt pavement recycling asphalt binder waste cooking oil molecular dynamics simulation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7108/3/4/34 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qiuhaochang evaluatingtheinfluenceofwastecookingoilmolecularstructureonagedasphaltmodification AT lianglianghuang evaluatingtheinfluenceofwastecookingoilmolecularstructureonagedasphaltmodification AT yutingwu evaluatingtheinfluenceofwastecookingoilmolecularstructureonagedasphaltmodification |