Effect of type and quantity of emulsifier in bitumen polymer emulsion on microsurfacing performance

ABSTRACT

Microsurfacing is a mixture of aggregates, cement, bitumen polymer emulsion (BPE), filler, water and chemical additives. In BPE that is a combination of bitumen, emulsifier, hydrochloric acid, water and liquid polymer, the type and amount of emulsifier affect its performance. The aim of this study is to investigate the performance characteristics of microsurfacing made by BPE with different percentages of emulsifiers. Mixing time, cohesion, wet track abrasion, loaded wheel and Schulze tests are performed. The samples are made with 3% of three different emulsifiers and also with 3% of BPE. The results show that increasing the amount of emulsifiers and BPE in abrasion, adhesion, mixing time and loaded wheel tests lead to an increase in the adhesion, bitumen coating on grains, mixing time and sand adhered, respectively. In addition, samples made by emulsifier type I have better performance than type II in loaded wheel and abrasion tests, but the optimum bitumen obtained from these tests is lower in the compounds of type II than those of type I. Also, samples containing type III do not exhibit good performance. Thus, the type, percentage of emulsifier and percentage of BPE have significant effects on the performance characteristics of the microsurfacing.

KEYWORDS:

• Abrasion
• adhesion
• loaded wheel
• mixing time
• preventive maintenance
• surface treatment

Disclosure statement

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