Influence of Ageing Process on Rheological Characteristic of Waste Natural Rubber Latex Modified Bitumen

Abstract

Bitumen is widely used in highway pavement construction. Changes of bitumen properties occurs during the modification and ageing process. The ageing process does consequences in road deterioration; however, it is also benefits in determination of optimum properties during bitumen modification process. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the changes of bitumen (unmodified and modified) properties as it was exposed to artificial ageing process. In order to achieve the objective, base bitumen (PEN 60/70) was modified with waste natural rubber (NR) latex. Subsequently, the modified bitumen was subjected to a laboratory ageing process by the aided of rolling thin oven film (RTFOT) and pressure ageing vessel (PAV). Its rheological characteristic was evaluate using dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). It was found that, associating waste NR latex with bitumen improved its properties during short term and long term ageing, indicated by G∗/sin δ and G∗.sin δ. The performance grade (PG) also successfully improved to PG76 with the addition of 5% waste NR latex.