Investigation of the effects of wax additive on the properties of asphalt binder

To protect the environment and reduce the consumption of energy, warm asphalt has been used widely in recent years. In this paper, Brookfield rotational viscometer test and dynamic mechanical analysis method are employed to investigate the effect of a kind of commercial wax named Sasobit® on the properties of three kinds of asphalt. It can be found that this kind of wax can increase the value of softening point, complex modulus, anti-rutting factor and reduce the value of the penetration and the phase angle; when the temperature is higher than 110 °C, the Sasobit® modified asphalt has a lower viscosity, comparing with the original sample; when the temperature is lower than 70 °C, the complex viscosity of Sasobit® modified asphalt is higher than the original sample, and the higher the Sasobit® content, the higher the complex viscosity. From the statistics analysis, it can be found that the effects of Sasobit® on rheological properties of asphalt are significant.

► Transition point appears in viscosity–temperature curve after adding Sasobit®. ► Sasobit® can change the rheological properties of asphalt. ► Sasobit® can reduce the manufacture temperature.