Laboratory investigation of using acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) for asphalt modification

This investigation examines the modification effect of using two types of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) in asphalt binder at various concentration levels. The effects of AESO on rheological performance of neat asphalt binder were evaluated by employing rotational viscosity (RV), dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests. The results indicate that AESO has positive softening effects on decreasing the stiffness of asphalt binder, thereby reduces viscosity and lowers mixing and compaction temperatures. Moreover, laboratory produced AESO (LabAESO) performs superior to commercial available AESO (ComAESO) in terms of low temperature properties and fatigue life at the same concentration level and shows no separation. These findings suggest that a sufficiently high level of LabAESO is necessary in asphalt modification to dramatically affect rheological properties, and therefore enhance the neat asphalt binder's resistance to fatigue damage at intermediate temperatures and thermal cracking for cold regions pavement applications. Overall, LabAESO shows the potential to be used in asphalt modification with desirable performance improvement, and economic and environmental benefits.