Alternative bio-based emulsifiers for road materials

Abstract

Three bio-based compounds have been investigated as emulsifiers and stabilisers for bitumen emulsion preparation. The emulsifiers used are biopolymer, native nanoparticles and nanoparticles modified to be more hydrophobic. The comparison was made with a usual cationic surfactant for bitumen emulsion, used to manufacture the emulsion. Bitumen-in-water emulsions with a bitumen content of 60% were further obtained with biopolymers and nanoparticles. These emulsions were characterised and compared to a classical bitumen emulsion with amine-type surfactant. Cold mix asphalt specimens were successfully manufactured, moulded and used to evaluate the water recovery and stripping resistance. Different behaviours have been observed and interpreted. They are strongly linked to the emulsion formulation.

KEYWORDS:

• Emulsified bitumen
• formulation
• bio-based emulsifiers
• Pickering emulsion

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the French ‘Region des Pays de la Loire', ‘Nantes Métropole' and the French program ‘Investing for the Future’ for their financial support. The authors also thank Frederic Delfosse and Thomas Lebarbé (Eurovia) for the technical exchanges on materials and bitumen emulsions, as well as Olivier Burban, Jean-Philippe Terrier, Gilles Didelet, Nadège Buisson, Mildrède Debello (Univ. Eiffel) and Gaëlle Gautier (INRAE) for their contribution to the experimental testing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by NExT through a government grant managed by the National Research Agency under the French program ‘Investing for the Future’ (reference ANR-16-IDEX-0007). The project receives financial support from the French ‘Région des Pays de la Loire’ and ‘Nantes Métropole’.