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Article

High-Temperature Rheological Behavior and Fatigue Performance of Montmorillonite-Modified Asphalt

by
Ming-Xin Zhang
1,2,
Wei Du
1,2,
Yong-Xu Li
1,2,
Yan-Min Wang
1,2,*,
Xiao-Ning Wang
1,2 and
Xiao-Cun Liu
1,2,*
1
School of Civil Engineering, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan 250300, China
2
Jinan Key Laboratory for Low-Carbon and Eco-Friendly Road Materials, Jinan 250300, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Coatings 2024, 14(8), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14081038
Submission received: 24 June 2024 / Revised: 7 August 2024 / Accepted: 14 August 2024 / Published: 15 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functionalized and Smart Asphalt Mixtures via the Modification/Application of Nano/Micromaterials)
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Abstract

:
In this research, the effects of modifiers on the high-temperature rheological and fatigue properties of asphalt were investigated by utilizing montmorillonite (MMT) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) as modifiers for 70# and styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) asphalt, respectively. Temperature scanning tests and linear amplitude scanning (LAS) tests were performed using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) to evaluate the viscoelasticity, rutting resistance, and fatigue properties of the asphalt binder. The rheological properties under high-temperature and high-frequency conditions were also characterized by the Black curve and Cole–Cole transformation. Additionally, the elastic properties of the asphalt were examined using nanoindentation (NI). The results of the DSR tests indicate that the incorporation of MMT/OMMT into asphalt enhances its elastic properties and reduces its viscous properties, leading to improved resistance to shear deformation, rutting, and fatigue. Moreover, the NI tests show that the addition of MMT or OMMT improves the elastic properties of the asphalt, while also validating the effectiveness of nanoindentation in assessing the viscoelasticity of asphalt.

1. Introduction

Asphalt pavement is commonly used in the construction of high-grade highways due to its distinct advantages. However, the extreme summer weather, rising traffic volume, and frequent heavy load/overload occurrences often lead to inadequate high-temperature and fatigue performance of bitumen pavement [1,2]. At high temperatures, asphalt behaves as a nonlinear elastic–viscoplastic material, making it prone to permanent deformation and ruts. At medium temperatures, asphalt behaves as a linear viscoelastic material, which can result in fatigue cracking due to insufficient fatigue properties [3,4]. Therefore, it is particularly important to study the linear viscoelasticity, rutting resistance, and fatigue properties of asphalt.
Asphalt, being a typical viscoelastic material, exhibits different properties that depend on loading time, temperature, and strain or stress level [4]. At low temperatures, high frequencies, or short loading times, there is insufficient time for the molecular structure inside the asphalt to reconstruct, resulting in remarkable elastic properties and resistance to permanent deformation. On the other hand, under high temperatures, low frequencies, or long loading times, the asphalt molecules recombine, leading to increased viscosity and reduced resistance to permanent deformation. At medium temperatures, asphalt demonstrates a combination of viscosity and elasticity, making it susceptible to fatigue failure [4,5,6]. Among them, rutting and fatigue are more serious problems in the service of asphalt pavement. Especially in hot areas, asphalt pavement needs to have better rutting resistance. In cold regions, better cracking resistance is needed. These problems are mainly caused by the different flow behaviors of asphalt. Dynamic shear rheological test is an important way to evaluate the flow behavior of asphalt, which can evaluate the anti-rutting and anti-cracking properties of asphalt, so as to ensure the stability and safety of asphalt pavement under various climatic conditions. At present, the main method to study asphalt rheology is using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). For example, an evaluation of the rutting resistance of nanoclay-modified bitumen was conducted by using the rutting factor (G*/sin δ) and the results indicate that the addition of nanoclay significantly improves the rutting resistance of asphalt [7,8,9]. Similarly, Yu Ghaffarpour Jahromi et al. observed an enhancement in the fatigue resistance of asphalt with nanoclay, as measured by the fatigue factor G*·sin δ [10,11]. However, it should be noted that the fatigue factor is a parameter limited to the linear viscoelastic range and only serves as a characteristic value for the initial state of fatigue tests. It fails to track damage beyond this range and does not consider the cumulative damage caused by repeated loads under actual pavement conditions. Consequently, this index has limitations when used to evaluate the fatigue performance of bitumen [12,13]. In order to comprehensively evaluate the fatigue properties of bitumen, Johnson et al. proposed linear amplitude scanning (LAS) tests with stepwise loading based on the viscoelastic continuum damage (VECD) theory. This method allows for the analysis of fatigue property variations among different bitumen types and also enables the estimation of fatigue life under different strain levels by utilizing the VECD model. Thus, it is considered the most promising test for evaluating the fatigue life of bitumen [13].
In recent years, nanoindentation (NI) has emerged as a widely used tool for evaluating the mechanical characteristics of asphalt materials. Unlike traditional methods such as measuring rut depth and bending strain, nanoindentation provides direct mechanical parameters like modulus and viscoelastic properties, offering a more precise assessment of asphalt properties. A novel technique for extracting viscoelastic properties using spherical (blunt) nanoindentation under low loads was introduced by Veytskin and subsequently validated [14]. Jager improved upon this method by utilizing a functional equation approach that takes into account the geometric characteristics of the indenter tip [15]. Faisal conducted a comparative study comparing the complex shear modulus G* obtained from bitumen DSR with the nanoindentation modulus E, revealing the correlation between the two parameters [16]. This research presents a methodology for characterizing the viscoelastic properties of asphalt materials through indentation testing, with the goal of understanding how they deform under external forces and recover. By directly evaluating these properties, this method provides a more accurate insight into the behavior of asphalt, laying the foundation for analyzing the mechanical response and deterioration of pavements.
The asphalt resistance to photooxidation aging, heat exchange, storage, and photochromic properties can be improved by adding modifier to asphalt. Additionally, there has been a growing focus among pavement experts on improving the viscoelastic properties of asphalt through the use of modifiers in recent years. These modifiers often consist of organic polymers, inorganic nanomaterials, and composite blends of different materials. Ma et al. conducted a study on the high-temperature rheological properties of PAA-SBS-modified bitumen by incorporating polyphosphoric acid (PPA) into SBS asphalt. The results showed that the addition of PPA reduced the temperature sensitivity of the modified bitumen and increased its resistance to permanent deformation [17]. For example, Li et al. conducted a study on graphene-modified asphalt and found that graphene enhanced the high-temperature stability and temperature sensitivity of bitumen [18]. In a separate study, Babagoli et al. investigated the effects of a combination of styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) and nano titanium dioxide as asphalt modifiers and the experimental findings demonstrated that this additive combination not only enhanced the deformation resistance of bitumen at high temperatures but also significantly improved its fatigue resistance [19]. Nanoclays, such as montmorillonite and bentonite, are commonly used as asphalt modifiers due to their unique structure. Montmorillonite (MMT) is an inorganic layered silicate with a strong interlayer structure and high surface free energy. This allows it to incorporate asphalt into the interlayer, forming a peel or intercalation structure. Montmorillonite can be classified into inorganic montmorillonite (MMT) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT). Research has demonstrated that the addition of MMT or OMMT can enhance the high-temperature stability of bitumen and its resistance to thermal/photooxidation aging [6,20,21,22]. However, there is still a need for further exploration of the other characteristics of asphalt with montmorillonite as the asphalt modifier, particularly in terms of its fatigue performance as tested by the LAS test.
Control asphalt binders, 70# asphalt, and SBS-modified asphalt were chosen for this study. The MMT/OMMT content was set at 3 wt% based on existing practices and comprehensive consideration of the physical performances of MMT/OMMT-modified bitumen [20,21,23,24]. The effects of MMT/OMMT addition on asphalt’s high-temperature rheological properties and fatigue properties were studied using DSR. NI was utilized to evaluate the impact of MMT/OMMT addition on asphalt viscoelasticity, and an attempt was made to establish a relationship between elastic nanoindentation test results and DSR rheological properties.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Materials

Grade 70# bitumen and SBS-modified bitumen were used as the control asphalt binders, which were procured from Shandong Hi-speed Construction Materials Co., Ltd., Jinan, China, MMT and OMMT were employed as the asphaltic modifiers. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of MMT and OMMT are shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the MMT layer spacing is too small, resulting in no obvious diffraction peak in the XRD pattern within 0–10°. In the XRD pattern of OMMT, diffraction peaks appear at 2θ = 4.70°, so it can be inferred that the layer spacing of OMMT is relatively large (the layer spacing d = 1.88 nm can be calculated from the Bragg equation). The use of OMMT as an asphalt modifier can enhance the incorporation of monomer or polymeric molecules within the space between silicate layers. This, in turn, promotes the formation of nanocomposites that are more stable.

2.2. Preparation of Asphalt Sample

Different modified asphalts (labeled as 70/MMT, 70/OMMT, SBS/MMT, and SBS/OMMT) were prepared by the hot blending method, in which the content of MMT/OMMT was 3 wt%. The physical properties of the bitumen are shown in Table 1. Six types of bitumen (two control bitumen and four modified bitumen) were tested via a rolling thin-film oven (RTFO) and a pressure aging vessel (PAV). A flowchart describing the process is shown in Figure 2.

2.3. Temperature Sweep Test

According to the AASHTO T315 standard [23], a temperature sweep test was conducted with using a Gemini II ADS (Malvern, UK) dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and rheological parameters such as the complex modulus (G*), phase angle (δ), and rutting factor (G*/sin δ) were used to analyze the high-temperature properties of asphalt. The test was conducted in the constant-strain oscillation mode at a fixed frequency of 10 rad/s. The diameter of parallel plates was 25 mm with a 1 mm gap.

2.4. Linear Amplitude Sweep Test

According to the AASHTO TP101-12 standard [24], the LAS test consisted of two steps: a frequency sweep test was conducted to determine the rheological properties of asphalt, and then the amplitude sweep was performed to calculate its fatigue resistance based on the rheological properties [25,26]. The test temperature was 25 °C, the diameter of parallel plates was 8 mm with a 2 mm gap. The frequency scanning test utilized the strain-controlled loading mode, with a strain of 0.1% applied in the frequency range of 0.1~30 Hz. Similarly, the amplitude sweep test also employed the strain-controlled loading mode. The asphalt specimens were subjected to oscillatory shear at a rate of 10 Hz under a strain of 0.1~30%. We combined the test data and VECD model to calculate the bitumen’s fatigue life [27].

2.5. Nanoindentation Test

The nanoindentation test was conducted using KLA i-Nano equipment (Milpitas, CA, USA) with a TB30751-Bercovich (Milpitas, CA, USA) tip for the indentation. The test frequency range was set between 10 and 200 Hz, with a target pressing depth of 0.24 microns. More than four test points were chosen on the surface of each asphalt sample to measure the Young’s modulus at different frequencies, and the average value was then calculated. The test was carried out at a temperature of 25 °C.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. High-Temperature Rheological Properties

The parameters G* and δ are fundamental in characterizing the viscoelastic properties of asphalt binder. G* represents the shear relationship between stress and strain, where a higher G* value indicates a stronger resistance to shear deformation and a lower likelihood of permanent deformation [28]. On the other hand, δ represents the hysteresis between peak stress and peak strain. A higher δ value signifies a larger viscous component, making it easier to induce permanent deformation [28,29].
The changes in G* and δ of the asphalt binder with temperature before and after aging are shown in Figure 3, respectively. The trend of the complex modulus indicates that temperature has a significant influence on G*. As the temperature increases, the asphalt binder transitions gradually from an elastic state to a viscous state, resulting in a decrease in shear deformation resistance and a gradual decrease in G*. Furthermore, the difference in G* becomes smaller as the temperature increases. A comparison of different asphalt binders reveals that the G* value of series SBS asphalt binders (SBS, SBS/MMT, and SBS/OMMT) is greater than that of series 70# asphalt binders (70#, 70/MMT, and 70/OMMT). Additionally, modified asphalt binders exhibit higher G* values compared to unmodified asphalts, largely because the addition of MMT/OMMT restricts the movement of asphalt binder and enhances the stiffness of modified bitumen. In particular, OMMT-modified asphalt has a higher G* value than MMT-modified asphalt before and after aging, which is due to the peel structure formation of OMMT-modified asphalt. Thermal oxygen aging leads to changes such as the volatilization of light components, recombination of heavy components, and an increase in polar functional groups. These changes increase the hardness of asphalt, improve shear deformation resistance, and generally increase the G* of the aged bitumen binder. The modified bitumen exhibits higher G* values than the original asphalt due to the introduction of oxygen atoms during aging. This reduction in free volume and increase in asphalt density contribute to the improved properties of the modified asphalt [30].
From Figure 3, it can be concluded that the δ curve of the asphalt binder exhibits a different trend compared to G*. As the temperature increases, the 70# asphalt binder shows a convex increase trend, while the SBS asphalt binder shows a concave increase trend. Additionally, the δ value of the 70# asphalt binder is significantly higher than that of the SBS bitumen binder. These results show that the viscous components of bitumen increase with temperature, making it more susceptible to rutting. The strong interaction between networks in SBS asphalt restricts the transfer between bitumen, limits the fluidity of asphalt colloid, enhances the ability to resist external forces, and makes it have better deformation resistance. Furthermore, the modified asphalt has a smaller δ than the original asphalt at the same temperature, suggesting that the addition of MMT/OMMT reduces the viscous components of the bitumen and enhances its resistance to permanent deformation. Additionally, OMM performs better than MMT in this regard.
The rutting factor (G*/sin δ) was proposed to evaluate the high-temperature performance of asphalt binders [31]. The higher the value of G*/sin δ (generally corresponding to a larger G* and a smaller δ), the better the deformation resistance and the better the rutting resistance. In order to resist permanent deformation, the asphalt binder should not be too soft; the rutting factor value of the unaged bitumen binder needs to be greater than 1.00 kPa. After the RTFOT aging process, it should not be lower than 2.20 kPa. Additionally, the temperature at which the G*/sin δ reaches the critical failure temperature is considered as the critical failure temperature.
The G*/sin δ for unaged and RTFOT-aged asphalt binder changes with temperature, as shown in Figure 4a,b, respectively. The corresponding critical failure temperatures are presented in Figure 4c,d. As the temperature increases, the rutting factors initially decrease sharply and then level off, both before and after aging. Additionally, with higher temperatures, the difference between rutting factors of the same type of asphalt binder gradually decreases. This can be attributed to the fact that higher temperatures soften the asphalt, increase its viscous component, and reduce its resistance to deformation. Under different temperature conditions, the rutting factor of series SBS asphalt binders was found to be higher than that of series 70# asphalt binders. Additionally, the modified binders exhibited better performance compared to the unmodified binders. Furthermore, the OMMT-modified binders demonstrated superior rut resistance compared to MMT asphalt binders. These findings indicate that SBS asphalt has better resistance to high-temperature deformation than 70# asphalt, and the OMMT modifier outperforms MMT in terms of rut resistance. Moreover, the resistance to high-temperature flow deformation becomes stronger with increasing critical temperature. Figure 4 clearly illustrates that OMMT/MMT enhances the high-temperature rheological performance of bitumen binders [32].

3.2. Fatigue Properties

The stress–strain curves of the bitumen binder LASs are depicted in Figure 5. Both the series 70# asphalt binders and series SBS asphalt binders display a similar trend. As the shear strain increases, the shear stress of the specimen gradually increases as well. Once the peak is reached, fatigue starts to decline slowly until it eventually fails. Furthermore, asphalt binders of the same type demonstrate a progressive failure type after peak stress and can maintain a higher strain rate under lower stress levels [33]. As per the requirements of AASHTO TP 101-14, the fatigue failure point of asphalt specimens is considered to be the peak of stress of LAS, also known as the yield stress. The strain corresponding to peak stress is referred to as the yield strain [27]. As depicted in Figure 5, the network structure of series SBS asphalt binder results in a significantly lower stress growth and decay rate compared to series 70# asphalt binders. Additionally, the strain range in the peak zone is wide, exhibiting a certain level of toughness/ductility. This indicates that the SBS asphalt binders maintain considerable structural integrity even at a 30% strain level. Therefore, they possess desirable anti-fatigue properties [34].
The original asphalt experiences its stress peak earliest and also has the fastest stress decay rate, resulting in early fatigue failure. The addition of the MMT/OMMT modifier significantly increases the maximum shear stress of the bitumen binder, enhancing its capability to prevent microcrack formation. The yield stress of the six groups of bitumen specimens follows this order: SBS/OMMT > SBS/MMT > SBS > 70/MMT > 70/OMMT > 70#. This indicates that the inclusion of the modifier improves the fatigue resistance of the original bitumen [35].
The VECD theory was used to analyze the damage evolution process of bitumen binder during loading in the LAS test. The integrity coefficient C and cumulative loss parameter D were employed to reflect this process and a damage characteristic curve was plotted (Figure 6). C represents the integrity of the asphalt binder, where a value of 1 indicates no damage. As the damage parameter D increases, the material’s integrity gradually decreases in a nonlinear manner until C reaches 0, indicating complete damage. When the cumulative damage parameter remains constant, a higher corresponding C value signifies stronger fatigue damage resistance of the bitumen binder. The slope of the curve at this point represents the fatigue damage velocity of the asphalt, and a higher absolute value suggests a greater likelihood of fatigue damage occurrence [36].
Different types of asphalt have varying rates of damage. According to Figure 6, series SBS asphalts exhibit the slowest damage speed and the highest cumulative damage parameters compared to series 70# asphalts. This suggests that class SBS asphalt possesses a stronger ability to resist fatigue damage [37]. As the damage parameters increase, the original asphalt is the first to experience fatigue failure. The curve slope of series SBS-modified asphalt with MMT/OMMT is relatively gentle, thereby delaying fatigue failure. This indicates that MMT/OMMT enhances the fatigue resistance of SBS asphalt. However, for series 70# asphalt, the anti-fatigue effect of modified asphalt with OMMT is not significant.
To quantitatively analyze the effects of the MMT/OMMT modifier on the fatigue life of different types of bitumen, it is necessary to consider both the bitumen damage characteristic curve and the VECD model. The model parameters for the VECD model are shown in Table 2. Parameter α measures the strain sensitivity of the bitumen binders. It has been observed that there is not a significant difference in α values between different bitumen samples, as the frequency scanning test was conducted at a low strain level, which has minimal impact on the fatigue life of bitumen [36,37]. The fatigue failure standard of the bitumen binder is considered to be achieved when D reaches 35% of the initial virtual mode |G*|sinδ, and then A35 can be calculated. Since no fatigue failure occurred in any asphalt sample below a strain level of 5%, the influence of the MMT/OMMT modifier on the asphalt’s fatigue life was estimated at a 5% strain level, as shown in Figure 7.
The fatigue life (shown in Figure 7) of the MMT/OMMT-modified bitumen binder is higher than that of the original binder. This finding is consistent with the results obtained from the analysis of the stress–strain curve and damage characteristic curve discussed earlier. The stronger interactions between MMT/OMM nanoparticles and the functional groups of the bitumen binder enable the formation of a network within the bitumen structure, which helps resist microcrack nucleation and improves fatigue resistance. The addition of SBS/OMMT improved the fatigue life of modified bitumen by 91.5%, followed by SBS/MMT (68.2%), 70/MMT (43.8%), and 70/OMMT (8.4%). These results indicate that MMT/OMM has the most significant effect on extending the fatigue life of class SBS bitumen.

3.3. Black Space Rheological Assessment

Figure 8 illustrates the Black diagram and its Cole–Cole transformation of the rheological properties for asphalts at 25 °C. The Black diagram directly reflects the viscoelastic characteristics of asphalt materials at different frequencies and serves as a key tool for evaluating the thermal rheological simplicity [38]. To further analyze the viscoelastic properties of the material comprehensively, the data from the Black diagram were transformed into a Cole–Cole plot. The Cole–Cole plot was a graphical representation used to analyze the frequency dependence of viscoelastic materials, thereby revealing the viscoelastic characteristics, including the relative magnitudes of its elastic and viscous contributions.
A smooth, continuous black curve generally relies on the asphalt, exhibiting simple rheological behavior. As shown in Figure 8a, the black curves (rheological data derived from the frequency sweeps at 25 °C) for series SBS and 70# asphalt binders. It can be seen that similar smooth Black diagram plots were produced for the series SBS asphalt binders and the series 70# binders. Therefore, these different binders together with MMT or OMMT can be considered to be thermo-rheological simple at 25 °C [39]. Compared to the series 70# binders, series SBS binders on the rheological parameters have increased elastic response at low complex modulus values in the Black curves. As the frequency increases, SBS-modified asphalt shifts towards a viscous behavior, while SBS-modified asphalt with MMT/OMMT shows a significant shift towards an elastic behavior. The incorporation of MMT or OMMT caused a shift to lower phase angles (improved elastic response) compared to the standard 70# and SBS binders. The Cole–Cole plot can similarly validate the previous analysis. As shown in Figure 8b, all six materials exhibit favorable viscoelastic properties, demonstrating a balanced relationship between viscosity and elasticity. As the frequency increases, SBS-modified asphalt shifts towards viscosity, while the SBS-modified asphalt with the addition of MMT/OMMT shows a significant shift towards elasticity, thereby reducing the viscosity of the SBS-modified asphalt, which is consistent with the Black curve results.

3.4. NI Test Results

The Young’s modulus (E) of asphalt material can be directly measured using the nanoindentation technique. A higher E value indicates better viscoelastic properties and stronger deformation resistance of the asphalt material. The Young’s modulus curve of asphalt is depicted in Figure 9, revealing that the E of modified asphalt surpasses that of original asphalt, both prior to and post aging, under low- and high-frequency conditions. This suggests that the inclusion of montmorillonite enhances the elasticity of asphalt, particularly with the addition of organic montmorillonite, resulting in improved elasticity and deformation resistance.
The above findings align with the conclusions drawn from the previous DSR test results. The relationship between Young’s modulus E obtained by nanoindentation and the DSR shear modulus (G-DSR) can be described by the equation E = 2G (1 + μ) through data analysis. With a Poisson’s ratio μ of 0.499 for asphalt material, the nanoindentation shear modulus (G-NI) can be calculated. Table 3 displays G-NI (25 °C, 10 Hz) and G-DSR (25 °C, 10 Hz) values for asphalt, showing an increase in both G-NI and G-DSR upon the addition of montmorillonite. Furthermore, G-DSR is consistently higher than G-NI, both prior to and post aging. In the non-aging phase, G-DSR is 2.2–2.3 times that of G-NI, while in the short-term aging phase, G-DSR is 2.4–3.1 times greater than G-NI. These findings indicate a strong correlation between the nanoindentation modulus and DSR shear modulus, affirming the viscoelastic reliability of asphalt as tested through nanoindentation.

4. Conclusions

This study utilized MMT and OMMT as modifiers, incorporating a content of 3wt% to prepare modified asphalt by modifying 70# and SBS asphalt. The high-temperature rheological and fatigue properties of the asphalt binders were evaluated through temperature scanning tests and linear amplitude scanning (LAS) tests using a DSR. Additionally, the elastic properties of the asphalt were examined using nanoindentation (NI). Key findings include the following: (1) Whether it is 70# asphalt or SBS asphalt, the addition of MMT/OMMT improves the complex modulus of asphalt, reduces the phase angle of asphalt, and makes the modified asphalt have better resistance to permanent deformation. (2) The addition of MMT/OMMT increased the rutting resistance and the critical temperature, indicating that MMT/OMMT improves the high-temperature rheological properties of the asphalt binder. (3) MMT/OMM nanoparticles can interact with the functional groups of asphalt, and the resulting network structure can resist microcrack nucleation and prolong the fatigue life of asphalt. Among them, MMT/OMM has the most significant effect on extending the fatigue life of SBS asphalt. (4) The stress growth and decay rate of SBS asphalt is significantly lower than that of 70# asphalt, and the strain range in the peak zone is wider, indicating that SBS asphalt has better fatigue resistance than 70# asphalt. (5) A strong correlation was found between the shear modulus obtained through nanoindentation and the shear modulus obtained through DSR, confirming the reliability of characterizing asphalt viscoelasticity with nanoindentation technology and aiding in establishing a relationship between micro and macro test methods. Of course, we also need to expand our discussion to include a comprehensive evaluation of the empirical evidence and the development of a rheological model that explains the resistance to rutting and fatigue.

Author Contributions

Formal analysis, W.D. and Y.-X.L.; Investigation, M.-X.Z. and X.-N.W.; Writing—original draft, M.-X.Z.; Writing—review & editing, Y.-M.W. and X.-C.L.; Supervision, Y.-M.W. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by Shandong Province science and technology smes innovation ability improvement project (2022TSGC2222).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Coatings 14 01038 g001
Figure 1. XRD patterns of MMT and OMMT samples.
Figure 1. XRD patterns of MMT and OMMT samples.
Coatings 14 01038 g001
Coatings 14 01038 g002
Figure 2. Preparation of MMT/OMMT-modified asphalt.
Figure 2. Preparation of MMT/OMMT-modified asphalt.
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Coatings 14 01038 g003
Figure 3. Rheological properties of the unaged (a,c) and RTFOT-aged (b,d) bitumen samples under temperature sweep.
Figure 3. Rheological properties of the unaged (a,c) and RTFOT-aged (b,d) bitumen samples under temperature sweep.
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Coatings 14 01038 g004
Figure 4. The rutting factor and critical failure temperature of the corresponding unaged (a,c) and after RTFOT-aged (b,d) asphalt binders, respectively.
Figure 4. The rutting factor and critical failure temperature of the corresponding unaged (a,c) and after RTFOT-aged (b,d) asphalt binders, respectively.
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Coatings 14 01038 g005
Figure 5. Plot of stress versus strain in the LAS test.
Figure 5. Plot of stress versus strain in the LAS test.
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Figure 6. Asphalt damage characteristic curves.
Figure 6. Asphalt damage characteristic curves.
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Coatings 14 01038 g007
Figure 7. Fatigue life of series 70# asphalt (a) and series SBS asphalt (b) at 2.5% strain level.
Figure 7. Fatigue life of series 70# asphalt (a) and series SBS asphalt (b) at 2.5% strain level.
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Coatings 14 01038 g008
Figure 8. The Black diagram (a) and its Cole–Cole transformation (b) of asphalt rheological properties.
Figure 8. The Black diagram (a) and its Cole–Cole transformation (b) of asphalt rheological properties.
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Coatings 14 01038 g009
Figure 9. Curves of Young’s modulus to frequency of unaged (a) and RTFOT-aged (b) asphalt binders.
Figure 9. Curves of Young’s modulus to frequency of unaged (a) and RTFOT-aged (b) asphalt binders.
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Table 1. The basic characteristics of the asphalts.
Table 1. The basic characteristics of the asphalts.
Type of AsphaltPenetration
(25 °C, 0.1 mm)		Softening Point (°C)Ductility
(5 cm/min, 10 °C, cm)		Ductility
(5 cm/min, 5 °C, cm)
OriginalTFOTOriginalTFOTOriginalTFOTOriginalTFOT
70#68.8242.08 47.84 56.68 21.65 6.20 ––– –––
70/MMT55.00 36.65 51.21 54.65 16.60 6.55 ––– –––
70/OMMT57.95 40.88 52.34 54.11 17.80 9.65 ––– –––
SBS 58.56 45.48 76.69 75.45 ––– ––– 28.65 23.10
SBS/MMT 49.63 42.68 81.25 75.99 ––– ––– 24.65 22.06
SBS/OMMT 50.16 45.35 82.38 76.25 ––– ––– 25.08 22.80
Table 2. VECD model parameters.
Table 2. VECD model parameters.
Asphalt TypeαC1C2DrKBA35
70#2.5340.0860.4951542.253 2.281 −5.068121,054,316.248
70/MMT2.5180.0680.5151727.357 2.221 −5.035165,116,909.215
70/OMMT2.5310.1270.4561943.765 2.377 −5.062129,921,066.415
SBS2.6550.1720.3642445.928 2.689 −5.3105,122,591,239.929
SBS/MMT2.6550.1600.3642845.849 2.688 −5.3108,616,443,532.055
SBS/OMMT2.6670.2210.3332983.646 2.780 −5.33410,193,382,512.793
Table 3. G-NI and G-DSR of asphalt.
Table 3. G-NI and G-DSR of asphalt.
Type of AsphaltUnagedRTFOT Aged
G-NI (MPa)G-DSR (MPa)G-NI (MPa)G-DSR (MPa)
70#3.007.093.307.80
70/MMT3.247.223.478.66
70/OMMT3.618.384.0811.74
SBS5.0611.35.1514.69
SBS/MMT5.3012.125.4016.97
SBS/OMMT5.5412.455.9417.68
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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, M.-X.; Du, W.; Li, Y.-X.; Wang, Y.-M.; Wang, X.-N.; Liu, X.-C. High-Temperature Rheological Behavior and Fatigue Performance of Montmorillonite-Modified Asphalt. Coatings 2024, 14, 1038. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14081038

AMA Style

Zhang M-X, Du W, Li Y-X, Wang Y-M, Wang X-N, Liu X-C. High-Temperature Rheological Behavior and Fatigue Performance of Montmorillonite-Modified Asphalt. Coatings. 2024; 14(8):1038. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14081038

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Ming-Xin, Wei Du, Yong-Xu Li, Yan-Min Wang, Xiao-Ning Wang, and Xiao-Cun Liu. 2024. "High-Temperature Rheological Behavior and Fatigue Performance of Montmorillonite-Modified Asphalt" Coatings 14, no. 8: 1038. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14081038

APA Style

Zhang, M.-X., Du, W., Li, Y.-X., Wang, Y.-M., Wang, X.-N., & Liu, X.-C. (2024). High-Temperature Rheological Behavior and Fatigue Performance of Montmorillonite-Modified Asphalt. Coatings, 14(8), 1038. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14081038

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