Study on the Influence of ZM Modifier on the Rheological Properties and Microstructural Characteristics of Asphalt
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors1) The manuscript is generally well written, both in English and easy to understand. These are positive comments. On the other hand, many researchers have similar papers on rheological properties and microstructural characteristics of asphalt. The current manuscript does not contribute anything new in this respect. The authors themselves have several similar articles. So, it's very difficult to understand the originality of your paper. Although the presentation showed that, on average, better agreement was achieved than in previous articles, I am not convinced it is a large enough contribution to deserve the merit of being published in the Coatings journal.
2) Generally, the current manuscript is well-written. However, a 31% similarity was detected in the IThenticate program, including in the authors' previously published articles, which I have included below. This situation is unacceptable.
Wu, C.; Tan, X.; Li, L.; Liang, C.; Zhao, Y.; Li, H.; Wang, F.; Zhang, L. Evaluation and Correlation Analysis of the Rheological Properties of Ground Tire Rubber and Styrene Butadiene Styrene Compound-Modified Asphalt. Polymers 2023, 15, 3289. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153289.
Guo, L.; Xu,W.; Zhang, Y.; Ji, W.; Wu, S. Selecting the Best Performing Modified Asphalt Based on Rheological Properties and Microscopic Analysis of RPP/SBS Modified Asphalt. Materials 2022, 15, 8616. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238616
Peng, Q.; Sun, X.; Liu, Z.; Jin, J.; Yu, H.; Yin, Y. Sprayed-Polyurea-Modified Asphalt: Optimal Preparation Parameters, Rheological Properties and Thermal Properties. Coatings 2023, 13, 544. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13030544
3) Since the amount of ZM modifier causes very expensive operations in asphalt, what will be the amount of modifier needed? The authors never discussed the modifier costs. This is a major shortcoming, especially in terms of the industrial scale.
4) The English appears to be quite good. However, it would be useful to review the grammar of the existing manuscript.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
The English appears to be quite good. However, it would be useful to review the grammar of the existing manuscript.
Author Response
Comment1: The manuscript is generally well written, both in English and easy to understand. These are positive comments. On the other hand, many researchers have similar papers on rheological properties and microstructural characteristics of asphalt. The current manuscript does not contribute anything new in this respect. The authors themselves have several similar articles. So, it's very difficult to understand the originality of your paper. Although the presentation showed that, on average, better agreement was achieved than in previous articles, I am not convinced it is a large enough contribution to deserve the merit of being published in the Coatings journal.
Reply1: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The application of ZM modifiers in asphalt represents a groundbreaking innovation that significantly improves many of the properties of asphalt and pushes the technological boundaries in the field of sustainable pavement materials.
Comment2: Generally, the current manuscript is well-written. However, a 31% similarity was detected in the IThenticate program, including in the authors' previously published articles, which I have included below. This situation is unacceptable.
Wu, C.; Tan, X.; Li, L.; Liang, C.; Zhao, Y.; Li, H.; Wang, F.; Zhang, L. Evaluation and Correlation Analysis of the Rheological Properties of Ground Tire Rubber and Styrene Butadiene Styrene Compound-Modified Asphalt. Polymers 2023, 15, 3289. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153289.
Guo, L.; Xu, W.; Zhang, Y.; Ji, W.; Wu, S. Selecting the Best Performing Modified Asphalt Based on Rheological Properties and Microscopic Analysis of RPP/SBS Modified Asphalt. Materials 2022, 15, 8616. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238616.
Peng, Q.; Sun, X.; Liu, Z.; Jin, J.; Yu, H.; Yin, Y. Sprayed-Polyurea-Modified Asphalt: Optimal Preparation Parameters, Rheological Properties and Thermal Properties. Coatings 2023, 13, 544. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13030544.
Reply2: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment3: Since the amount of ZM modifier causes very expensive operations in asphalt, what will be the amount of modifier needed? The authors never discussed the modifier costs. This is a major shortcoming, especially in terms of the industrial scale.
Reply3: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of ZM modifiers on asphalt performance. The cost of ZM modifiers will be explored in depth in future studies.
Comment4: The English appears to be quite good. However, it would be useful to review the grammar of the existing manuscript.
Reply4: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe article of Wang et al. is devoted to the study of modification of properties of such an important material as asphalt. The article is of interest to specialists in the field of materials science and contains facts that can improve the properties of asphalt. However, the article is written carelessly, with a reduction of the necessary information about experimental methods, with numerous typos and techniques to reduce typing efforts, which makes it difficult for the reviewer and future readers to perceive it. It cannot be accepted in its current form and requires significant revision, see file attached.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
Comment1: Throughout the text of the article and the abstract, the authors use the designation ZM to denote the asphalt modifier. This designation is definitely an abbreviation and stands for something. However, no decryption is given anywhere. Note, that the explanation of the abbreviations should be given both, in abstact (if used) and in the article text.
Reply1: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
In this study, modified asphalt was prepared using varying dosages of ZM modifier (Direct-injection asphalt mixture modified polymer additive), and a series of tests were conducted to evaluate its influence on asphalt properties.
Comment2: Lines 85-93 on page 2 discuss the effect of ZM modifier on asphalt properties based on known results from other work (apparently), however, no references to previous work are given. Please provide references or explanations of where this is known from.
Reply2: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Against this backdrop, the ZM modifier, as an emerging multifunctional material, has attracted growing attention in the academic community due to its favorable ther-mal stability, molecular compatibility, and structural regulation capability in asphalt. Preliminary studies have shown that ZM modifiers can effectively increase the soften-ing point and viscoelastic properties of asphalt, reduce its temperature sensitivity, and enhance internal cross-linked structures, thereby improving deformation resistance and structural stability. The modification process is primarily physical in nature, without the introduction of new functional groups, yet it significantly increases the hydrocarbon content within the asphalt, enhancing the adhesion between asphalt and aggregates.
Comment3: Table 2, Figure 2 and the whole text: give a space between the digit and the unit of
measurement (for example, 60 °C, 5.8 mm, 45 %, etc.) as well as in inequalities (for
example, G*/sinδ > 1.00 kPa).
Reply3: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment4: Lines 154, 169 p. 5, 6: Please, provide the specific name of the device (ductilometer,
rheometer, bending beam rheometer) modification used, the manufacturer of the machine,
and the state and city where the company's head office is located.
Reply4: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The pulling speed of the ductilometer (HW-SYD-4508G-1) was set at 5 cm/min. The rheometer (HTR 3000) and test specimens are shown in Figure 3. The multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test (MCR 302e) is designed to simu-late the irreversible deformation and delayed elastic recovery of asphalt under exter-nal loading conditions. In this study, the low-temperature fracture resistance of asphalt was evaluated using a bending beam rheometer (SYD-0627). In this study, FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) spectroscopy (BRUKER TENSOR II) was employed to investigate the effects of the ZM modifier on the functional groups of asphalt. In this study, scanning electron microscopy (GeminiSEM300) was employed to observe the microstructural effects of the ZM modifier on asphalt.
Comment5: P.5, lines 185, 220: Please thoroughly read the text and introduce the spaces where they are absent.
Reply5: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment6: P.5, lines 185, 220: Please thoroughly read the text and introduce the spaces where they are absent.
Reply6: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment7: P.5, lines 183 -188, formulas (1) - (2), p.7 lines 250-259, formulas (3) - (7), p. 8 Table 3,
and the whole text: Now the styles of the indices in the text and in formulas are different. As well, the symbols of the physical quantities in the text and in formulas are different. Please give low indices and cursive in the text as in formulas. For example, ε1, ε10, PI (if it is a designation of the calculated quantity but not an abbreviation), etc. Otherwise, the designations in the text and in the formulas look as if they denote different quantities. This makes it difficult to read the text. In general, for better reading it is better to use the style of American Institute of Physics: to display all quantities that can be measured or calculated, as well as mathematical and physical constants in italics. However, if the index means an abbreviation it should be non-italics. For example: Jnr, A1g Pen, etc.
Reply7: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment8: P.5, 6 formulas (1) and (2): The R and Jnr values are given surely in %. So, it should be
indicated in formulas or/and in text.
Reply8: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Equivalent Softening Point (T₈₀₀) (%), Equivalent Brittleness Temperature (T₁.₂) (%), Plastic Temperature Range (ΔT).
Comment9: P. 6: Please describe (in a similar way as point 4) the devices where MSCR, FTIR, an
Scanning electron microscopy tests were done
Reply9: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment10: P.6, line 202: The abbreviation FTIR is used but not explained.
Reply10: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment11: P7, Figure 5: Please indicate the units on the ordinate axis (it is difficult to understand if it is shown on abscissa). As well for penetration it is better to show not ‘Penetration/0.1mm’ but ‘Pentration / ×0.1 mm’. Then, the text will be understandable from the first time:‘the penetration decreases from 8.3 mm to 6.3 mm’instead ‘the penetration decreases from 83 (0.1 mm) to 63 (0.1 mm)’,
which is difficult to read and understand.
Reply11: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment12: P. 7, formulas (3) - (7): where the formulas come from. Please provide references or formula
output.
Reply12: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment13: P. 7, formula (3): In formula (3) the quantity P is used but there is no explanation of the
meaning of P in the corresponding text at p. 7-8.
Reply13: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
A regression analysis was then conducted based on the logarithmic relationship between penetration (P) and temperature, as defined by Equation (3).
Comment14: P.8, lines 257 - 258: T is defined as “test temperature” explaining formulas (3)-(7), but T is not used in formulas (3) - (7).
Reply14: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment15: P. 7, line 255: ‘The results are presented in Figure 6.’ Are the results of calculations using formulas (3) - (7) really presented in Figure 6, and not in Table 3? P. 7-8, lines 255, 276, and 278, formula (6), Table 3: In line 255, quantity T1·2 is explained but in formula (6) and Table 3 other quantities (T1.2, T12, and T1.2) are used.
Reply15: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The results are presented in Table 3.
Comment16: P.8, What means the regression Equations in Table 3. Please explain where they from and the meaning of y, x, and numeric coefficients in the equations.
Reply16: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The regression equation represents the correlation between the penetration index and temperature.
Comment17: P. 8, Table 3 and line 260: Are the coefficients R2 in Table 3 and RR in line 260 the same?
Reply17: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment18: P. 7-8: In line 254 and in formula (5) the quantity T800 is defined and used but in Table 3 and line 272 unknown quantity, T800, is used and discussed. Also, in formulas (3)-(6) A1g Pen is used
but in line 258 other quantity, A1gpen, is mentioned.
Reply18: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment19: p.8, line 276-277: Please indicate the number of section where this discussion is placed:
‘As discussed in earlier sections, the incorporation of the ZM modifier leads to relatively poorer
low-temperature ductility’.
Reply19: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Considering that the introduction of ZM modifier results in relatively poor low-temperature ductility.
Comment20: P.9, line 313: Please introduce the meaning of δ in G*/sinδ
Reply20: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The phase angle (δ) is a critical parameter for characterizing the viscoelastic behavior of asphalt.
Comment21: P.10-11: Figure 9 is shown twice at both pages-Please remove one.
Reply21: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment22: Figures 9 and 10: using the bottom indices 0.1 and 3.2 for Jnr and R is misleading. It is enough to show 0.1 kPa and 3.2 kPa in captions to Figures. Also, these notations can be shown in Figures. In the caption to the Figures it should be indicated the meaning of these values (stress level).
Reply22: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment23: In Figure 10 and at p. 10 line 228 and at p. 11 line 267, the recovery rate is notated as R but at page 11 line 347 as RR. Further, in lines 372-382 again both, R and RR are used. If RR is an
abbreviation then it should be introduced correctly (in brackets) in first place where it appears. Please use one the same notation anywhere. The same is for Jnr and Jnr in Figure 9 and lines 350, 353, etc. As it was mentioned earlier, better to use italic letters for notation of the measured and calculated quantities, i.e., Jnr, R, or RR.
Reply23: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
As shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10, under both 0.1 kPa and 3.2 kPa stress levels, the creep recovery rate R of all five asphalt types decreases with increasing temperature, while the non-recoverable creep compliance Jnr shows a rising trend.
Comment24: P. 10, lines 323-326: ‘Within the temperature sweep range, the phase angle generally increases with temperature. This is because, under thermal influence, the elastic components within asphalt diminish while the viscous components increase.’P. 11, lines 356-359: ‘This improvement is attributed to the network structure formed by the polymer components in the modifier, which acts as a barrier, lim-357 iting thermal softening and maintaining structural stability.’
P.13, lines 411-415: ‘These peaks are attributed to vibrational coupling caused by the close proximity of highly polar asphaltenes within the asphalt. Notably, two strong absorption peaks appear at 2925 cm⁻¹ and 2850 cm⁻¹ in the ZM-modified asphalt. These correspond to the asymmetric and symmetric
stretching vibrations of –CH₂– and –CH₃– groups on saturated carbon chains, respectively.’
P.13, lines 418-420: ‘A weak absorption peak is also present in the range of 2200–2400 cm⁻¹, associated with the stretching vibrations of C≡C bonds, indicating the presence of alkynes in the asphalt matrix.
P.13, lines 420-428: The absorption peaks at 1450 cm⁻¹ and 1265 cm⁻¹ correspond to the bending vibrations of CH₃ (angular deformation) and the umbrella-type deformation of CH₂, respectively. These peaks are enhanced after the addition of the ZM modifier, confirming that the modifier increases the saturated hydrocarbon content in the asphalt. In the 700–900 cm⁻¹ wavenumber range,sharp absorption peaks appear, which are attributed to the out-of-plane bending vibrations of C–H bonds in aromatic compounds. These peaks indicate the presence of benzene rings or adjacent hydrogen atom groups in the asphalt.’
P.14, lines 449-452:
‘The uniformly distributed crosslinked structure effectively limits the flowability of asphalt
under high-temperature conditions and forms a stable internal framework. This structure
enhances resistance to external disturbances and contributes to the overall improvement of
asphalt performance.’
Why so? Let give a reference or write that it is an assumption done in the current work.
In general, when discussing the test results, all statements are categorical. Why are the authors so
confident in them? There are probably other explanations for the observed trends. Authors should
provide references to works confirming their conclusions, or use words like "apparently" to
mitigate categoricality where the statements are not obvious. Especially, it is concerned sections
3.2-3.5.
Reply24: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
This may be due to the reduction of elastic components and increase of viscous com-ponents in asphalt under the influence of heat.
These peaks may be due to vibration coupling caused by highly polar asphalt components being too close together.
This network structure may originate from the uniform dispersion of ZM modifier during the asphalt mixing process. This uniformly distributed cross-linked structure effectively restricts the fluidity of asphalt under high temperature conditions and forms a stable internal framework.
Comment24: P. 12, Figure 11: Subfigures (a) and (b) should be marked. At the Figures the units of the
temperature values (°C) should be indicated. The caption should be modified describing what is
shown at Figures (a) and (b) and at which low temperatures.
Reply25: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment26: P.12, line 394 and further text: please give the meaning of the m-value. What is it?
Reply26: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
After the incorporation of the ZM modifier, all m-values (creep rate) meet the specifi-cation requirements. At –18 °C and a 7% modifier dosage, the S-value slightly exceeds 300 MPa.
Comment27: P. 13, line 438: The abbreviation SEM is introduced the second time. First it is done at p.3
line 103.
Reply27: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment28: P. 14, Figures 13 and 14: Subfigures (a) and (b) should be marked. The caption should be
modified describing what is shown at Figures (a) and (b). The scale at Figures is practically not
seen. A contrast (white) color should be used. Better to show the scale by a horizontal contrast
line to exclude the misinterpretation.
Reply28: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment29: P. 13, lines 445, 446: ‘The test images present microstructural features at 300 μm and 100 μm magnifications.’ What it means? Is the 300 μm and 100 μm are the distances between the vertical bars at images or these are the length of the horizontal size of the images or a magnification x300 and x100, respectivelyReply29: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Reply29: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The test images present microstructural features at 300 μm and 100 μm (The scale bar in the figure corresponds to 300 micrometres and 100 micrometres in the actual sample.) magnifications.
Comment30: P14, conclusions: The abbreviations DSR, BBR, SEM, PI are introduced again (2nd or 3th
time). The abbreviation FTIR is introduced 1st time despite it was used recently in the text. The abbreviations in the text of the article should be introduced one time only, at first place, where they appear (in abstract they can be introduced independently). In the Conclusions it is not necessary to introduce the abbreviations again. Both, abbreviations and the whole names can be used in the conclusions.
Reply30: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The high- and low-temperature performance of ZM-modified asphalt was analyzed in detail using a DSR and a BBR. FTIR was used to examine changes in functional groups before and after modification, and SEM was employed to observe microstructural alterations.
Comment31: list of references: The style of the reference presentation differ from the style of the journal Coatings. According to the Instructions for authors the format of references should be: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/coatings/instructions
Reply31: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript is devoted to the study of the influence of the ZM modifier on the physico-mechanical, rheological characteristics, composition and morphology of asphalt. Interesting results were obtained, confirming the improvement of the asphalt properties with the addition of this modifier. Some results were compared with asphalt modified with a traditional SBS polymer. The results showed that the addition of the ZM modifier improves the rheological characteristics of asphalt at elevated and low temperatures compared to the base and modified SBS asphalt.
However, the manuscript has the following comments:
1. The authors do not disclose the meaning of the name of the ZM modifier, perhaps this is a trademark, however, it would be clear to readers what the name of the modifier means.
2. In the abstract on line 32-34 it is written that the microscopic analysis did not show new functional groups in the modifier. However, such results are shown not by microscopic, but by FTIR analysis.
3. In the Introduction section on lines 87-88, the authors mention previous studies, where I would recommend indicating literary sources about these studies with the ZM modifier.
4. When preparing the modifier, two-stage mixing is carried out with an increase in rotation speed from 300 to 5000 rpm and time from 15 to 60 min. It is recommended to supplement this section 2.2 with the purpose of additional mixing.
5. In section 2.3, in all methods, it is recommended to indicate the brands, company, city and country of manufacture of all presented devices (DSR, MSCR, BBR, FTIR, SEM), as is usually accepted in all publications.
6. In section 3.1, there is no discussion of the results of determining the ductility of the samples, despite the fact that its values are given in Figure 5.
7. On line 255, Figure 6 should be corrected to Table 3. On pages 10 and 11, Figure 9 is repeated twice.
8. Figure 11 does not show the values of the stiffnessy modulus for the base asphalt at -12 C.
9. In Section 3.5, the authors attribute the appearance of the peak at 2200-2400 cm to vibrations in alkyne bonds, which is hard to believe, since alkyne hydrocarbons are practically not observed in the modified asphalt. I would like to receive a different interpretation here. Line 421 contains a reference to literature 54, which is not in the list of references. On line 421-423, the authors indicate absorption bands of methyl and methylene groups at 1450 and 1265 cm. Usually, such bands are clearly observed not at 1265, but at 1365 cm.
10. In general, as a result of the studies, the authors did not show the optimal content of the ZM modifier for obtaining asphalt with improved characteristics. What amount of modifier is considered the best? This should be written in the "Conclusion" section.
Author Response
We gratefully thank the editor and all reviewers for their spend making their constructive remarks and useful suggestions, which has significantly raised the quality of the manuscript and has enable us to improve the manuscript. Each suggested revision and comment, brought forward by the reviewers was accurately incorporated and considered.
Comment1: The authors do not disclose the meaning of the name of the ZM modifier, perhaps this is a trademark, however, it would be clear to readers what the name of the modifier means.
Reply1: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
In this study, modified asphalt was prepared using varying dosages of ZM modifier (Direct-injection asphalt mixture modified polymer additive), and a series of tests were conducted to evaluate its influence on asphalt properties.
Comment2: In the abstract on line 32-34 it is written that the microscopic analysis did not show new functional groups in the modifier. However, such results are shown not by microscopic, but by FTIR analysis.
Reply2: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
FTIR analyses reveal that the ZM modifier does not introduce new functional groups, indicating a physical modification process. However, by enhancing the cross-linked structure and increasing the hydrocarbon content within the asphalt, it strengthens the adhesion between asphalt and aggregates.
Comment3: In the Introduction section on lines 87-88, the authors mention previous studies, where I would recommend indicating literary sources about these studies with the ZM modifier.
Reply3: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Against this backdrop, the ZM modifier, as an emerging multifunctional material, has attracted growing attention in the academic community due to its favorable thermal stability, molecular compatibility, and structural regulation capability in asphalt. Preliminary studies have shown that ZM modifiers can effectively increase the softening point and viscoelastic properties of asphalt, reduce its temperature sensitivity, and enhance internal cross-linked structures, thereby improving deformation resistance and structural stability. The modification process is primarily physical in nature, without the introduction of new functional groups, yet it significantly increases the hydrocarbon content within the asphalt, enhancing the adhesion between asphalt and aggregates.
Comment4: When preparing the modifier, two-stage mixing is carried out with an increase in rotation speed from 300 to 5000 rpm and time from 15 to 60 min. It is recommended to supplement this section 2.2 with the purpose of additional mixing.
Reply4: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The above mixing method ensures that the materials are thoroughly mixed.
Comment5: In section 2.3, in all methods, it is recommended to indicate the brands, company, city and country of manufacture of all presented devices (DSR, MSCR, BBR, FTIR, SEM), as is usually accepted in all publications.
Reply5: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
The pulling speed of the ductilometer (HW-SYD-4508G-1) was set at 5 cm/min. The rheometer (HTR 3000) and test specimens are shown in Figure 3. The multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test (MCR 302e) is designed to simu-late the irreversible deformation and delayed elastic recovery of asphalt under exter-nal loading conditions. In this study, the low-temperature fracture resistance of asphalt was evaluated using a bending beam rheometer (SYD-0627). In this study, FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) spectroscopy (BRUKER TENSOR II) was employed to investigate the effects of the ZM modifier on the functional groups of asphalt. In this study, scanning electron microscopy (GeminiSEM300) was employed to observe the microstructural effects of the ZM modifier on asphalt.
Comment6: In section 3.1, there is no discussion of the results of determining the ductility of the samples, despite the fact that its values are given in Figure 5.
Reply6: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
This results in an increased proportion of asphaltenes and resins, and a corresponding reduction in light components, which contributes to the observed decrease in penetration and increase in softening point. Overall, the addition of ZM modifier enhances the asphalt’s resistance to deformation under high-temperature conditions.
Comment7: On line 255, Figure 6 should be corrected to Table 3. On pages 10 and 11, Figure 9 is repeated twice.
Reply7: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. We have revised the article as requested.
Comment8: Figure 11 does not show the values of the stiffness modulus for the base asphalt at -12 C.
Reply8: We gratefully appreciate for your comment.
The values of the stiffness modulus for the base asphalt at -12°C are not particularly important for this study and are therefore not shown in the figure.
Comment9: In Section 3.5, the authors attribute the appearance of the peak at 2200-2400 cm to vibrations in alkyne bonds, which is hard to believe, since alkyne hydrocarbons are practically not observed in the modified asphalt. I would like to receive a different interpretation here. Line 421 contains a reference to literature 54, which is not in the list of references. On line 421-423, the authors indicate absorption bands of methyl and methylene groups at 1450 and 1265 cm. Usually, such bands are clearly observed not at 1265, but at 1365 cm.
Reply9: We gratefully appreciate for your comment.
This study uses ZM modifiers, which differ from traditional asphalt modifiers and may therefore differ significantly in terms of functional groups.
Comment10: In general, as a result of the studies, the authors did not show the optimal content of the ZM modifier for obtaining asphalt with improved characteristics. What amount of modifier is considered the best? This should be written in the "Conclusion" section.
Reply10: We gratefully appreciate for your comment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of ZM modifiers on asphalt performance. In future studies, we will further determine the optimal dosage of ZM in combination with cost considerations.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsI regret to inform you that the authors have not adequately addressed my criticisms of the current article, and it does not fit within the journal's scope.
Author Response
The reply situation can be found in the uploaded file
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIn the revised version of the article, a number of points are marked as revised at the request of the reviewer, but in fact they remain the same, not corrected. Next time, I will recommend rejecting the article due to the fact that the authors are disorienting the reviewer and wasting his time. Nevertheless, this time I recommend to give the authors another chance to revise the article accordingly, see file attached.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
The reply situation can be found in the uploaded file
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 3
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsAlthough the authors made some adjustments to the existing manuscript, they were not satisfactory. Additionally, I think the topic does not cover the subject of the current Coatings journal.
Author Response
The detailed responses to the reviewer’s comments are provided in the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors have done corrections. The article is recommended to accept after minor new corrections listed below.in the file attached
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
The detailed responses to the reviewer’s comments are provided in the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
