TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of nanoscale cracking at the interface between virgin and aged asphalt binders based on molecular dynamics simulations
AU - Yaphary, Yohannes L.
AU - Leng, Zhen
AU - Wang, Haopeng
AU - Ren, Shisong
AU - Lu, Guoyang
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors sincerely acknowledge the funding support from the Research Grant Committee RGC Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme: Aging and Recycling Mechanisms of Sustainable Asphalt Rubber Pavements (G-PolyU506/20). Dr. Haopeng Wang would like to acknowledge the financial support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101024139.
Funding Information:
The authors sincerely acknowledge the funding support from the Research Grant Committee RGC Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme: Aging and Recycling Mechanisms of Sustainable Asphalt Rubber Pavements (G-PolyU506/20). Dr. Haopeng Wang would like to acknowledge the financial support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101024139.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/6/13
Y1 - 2022/6/13
N2 - Low-temperature cracking is a major concern to improve the utilization of recycled asphalt mixture (RAM). A mechanism by which the crack propagates can provide a basis for advanced technological mitigation. Micro-crack formations in the interfacial proximity of the virgin and aged binders have been identified from electron microscopy tests. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiment showed the trilayer phases at the virgin-aged binder interface. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to understand the nanoscopic crack propagation characteristics at the virgin-aged binder interface in the asphalt mixture with RAM. It was found that the blended binder of virgin and aged binders, and its interfaces with virgin and aged binders appeared to be the crack propagation zones. The relatively more significant matrix contraction of virgin binder and stiffer aged binder at a low temperature can cause more considerable tensile stress at the blended binder and its interfaces. Consequently, interfacial crack propagation became more profound and decreased the low-temperature cracking resistance.
AB - Low-temperature cracking is a major concern to improve the utilization of recycled asphalt mixture (RAM). A mechanism by which the crack propagates can provide a basis for advanced technological mitigation. Micro-crack formations in the interfacial proximity of the virgin and aged binders have been identified from electron microscopy tests. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiment showed the trilayer phases at the virgin-aged binder interface. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to understand the nanoscopic crack propagation characteristics at the virgin-aged binder interface in the asphalt mixture with RAM. It was found that the blended binder of virgin and aged binders, and its interfaces with virgin and aged binders appeared to be the crack propagation zones. The relatively more significant matrix contraction of virgin binder and stiffer aged binder at a low temperature can cause more considerable tensile stress at the blended binder and its interfaces. Consequently, interfacial crack propagation became more profound and decreased the low-temperature cracking resistance.
KW - Cracking resistance
KW - Interfacial blending zone
KW - Molecular dynamics simulations
KW - Recycled asphalt mixture
KW - Temperature
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128265934&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127475
DO - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127475
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85128265934
SN - 0950-0618
VL - 335
JO - Construction and Building Materials
JF - Construction and Building Materials
M1 - 127475
ER -