Investigation of boron nitride enhanced fatty acid amide additive for asphalt modification

Flexible pavements are subject to deterioration due to excessive and repeated traffic loads, temperature changes, design errors, ultraviolet radiation, environmental and chemical effects. The degradation of asphalt binder is primarily attributed to its inherent properties, particularly its viscoelastic and thermoplastic characteristics, which render it susceptible to deterioration. To enhance the performance and behavior of the binder, a range of additives are employed for modification purposes. In this study, the effects of the additive obtained by regenerating waste animal fat with diaminohexane on asphalt binder and mixture were investigated. Hexagonal boron nitride was added to the additive to improve its thermal properties and structural stability. A series of laboratory studies were carried out on boron nitride reinforced fatty acid diamines and modified asphalts. Structural characterization of the synthesized additive was carried out by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was performed to determine the morphological properties of the modified binders, and FT-IR and TG analyses were performed to determine the modification mechanism and thermal performance. Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), Rotational Thin Film Aging (RTFOT), Rotational Viscometer (RV), Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV), Bending Beam Rheometry (BBR) and conventional binder tests were performed on the binders. Marshall Stability and Flow, Indirect Tensile Strength, Static and Dynamic Creep, Indirect Tensile Fatigue and Nicholson Stripping tests were performed on the mixtures. The results showed that the additive improved the consistency, permanent deformation strength, aging and fatigue resistance, flexibility, peeling resistance, adhesion performance and low temperature resistance of asphalt. It was determined that the ideal boron nitride ratio in the additive was 10%, while the ideal additive ratio for asphalt modification was 2%.