Improving Asphalt Binder Properties Using Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate and Natural Liquid Rubber

Abstract

This paper investigates adding two types of polymer to asphalt binder in different proportions to demonstrate the effect of their mechanical properties on the asphalt. A 10% addition of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used in this research with different percentages of liquid natural rubber (LNR at 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%). The natural rubber chemically is heated to increase the surface area to achieve the best penetration and to overcome phase separation issues caused by the difference in the densities of the rubber and asphalt. The asphalt tests showed improvement in the structures and viscosity, with a reduced softening point and improvements in temperature susceptibility with increases in the natural rubber ratio. The FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that the asphalt modification is a physical process, and other tests showed an increase in the asphalt binder resistance at low temperatures.