The modification of bitumen with styrene–butadiene–styrene, ethylene vinyl acetate and varying the amount of reactive ethylene terpolymer

Abstract

In this article, 50/70 penetration grade TUPRAS bitumen was modified. Reactive elastomeric terpolymer (Elvaloy RET; DuPont Company), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) polymers were used in bitumen modification. Set hours of the tests were applied to samples taken from the obtained modified bitumen mixture. Varying amount of reactive ethylene terpolymer with weight ratios of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5% were introduced to the mixture of raw bitumen with 1.0% SBS and 1.0% EVA. Penetration, penetration index, softening point, ductility and elastic recovery tests were performed with these modified bitumen and raw bitumen. The samples of raw bitumen and modified bitumens of 2.0% Elvaloy RET, 1.0% SBS and 1.0% EVA were investigated by means of IR spectroscopy. The raw bitumen was modified with SBS, EVA and RET, and it was determined that penetration and ductility values were decreased while penetration index, softening point and elastic recovery were increased. The purpose of this study is to research the improving properties of 50/70 penetration grade–modified bitumen used in highways of Turkey. The most important characteristics (such as softening point, penetration and % elastic recovery) of new polymer-modified bitumen (NPMB) containing 2.5% EVA, 1% RET and 1% SBS were compared with eight different types of polymer-modified bitumens in Turkey (TPMB). NPMB provided all required parameters (softening point, penetration and % elastic recovery) for five different types of TPMBs (TPMB 70-16, TPMB 70-22, TPMB 76-16, TPMB 76-22 and TPMB 82-16).