Laboratory Investigation of Using Calcium Lignosulfonate as an Oxidation Inhibitor in Bitumen

Abstract

Asphalt mixtures are the major constituent of road constructions. Those mixtures expose to high-temperature levels during the construction process and their life cycle. The bitumen aging occurred because of the harmful effects of elevated temperatures upon the asphalt mixtures, which leads to oxidation, evaporation, and physical hardening within the bitumen structure. The aging phenomenon can intensify the hardness and brittleness of bitumen, which negatively affects the performance of asphalt mixtures. Researchers have investigated different types of bitumen additives to diminish the negative effects of bitumen aging, among which biomass additives are more attractive for researchers because that additives are organic and mainly emanate from waste materials. The current study investigated the effect of calcium lignosulfonate (CLS) at four quantities (i.e., 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by the weight of base bitumen) as an antiaging bitumen additive on physical, workability, thermal susceptibility, rheological, and chemical properties of 60/70 penetration grade bitumen. The results revealed that although the addition of CLS into the bitumen enhanced the rigidity of bitumen against rutting failure at high-temperature conditions, the CLS-modified bitumen was more susceptible to fatigue failure than the virgin bitumen at low-temperature regions. The workability analysis showed that the CLS powder could improve the bitumen’s consistency against permanent deformation at high-temperature levels. Although the bitumen’s viscosity increased because of CLS modification, the CLS-modified bitumen provided acceptable workability based on the Superpave specifications. Outcomes from the rheological test revealed that the addition of CLS into the bitumen improved the rutting resistance of bituminous mixtures at high-temperature levels. The SARA analysis indicated that the hardening of CLS-modified samples emanated from the formation of asphaltenes within the bitumen because of CLS incorporation. Different types of aging indices, including PRP, SPI, VAI, and AIRF, which were calculated in this research, showed that the presence of CLS within the bitumen could retard the bitumen’s aging process.