Laboratory and field performances of grave emulsion manufactured using nanocellulose crystals as an asphalt-emulsion emulsifier

Abstract

This research examines the feasibility of substituting commercial emulsifiers made by the chemical and petrochemical industries with nanocellulose. To achieve this, various bitumen emulsions are created using nanocellulose fibers and crystals as emulsifying agents. A grave-emulsion type GE-1 manufactured using bitumen emulsion produced with nanocellulose is studied. A control GE-1 is also tested. Modified proctor tests are employed to obtain the optimal fluid content; the optimum bitumen emulsion content is determined using an immersion-compression test. The compactability of GE-1 is analysed using a gyratory compactor. Finally, the moisture damage resistance (tensile strength ratio), stiffness (resilient modulus), and permanent deformation (repeated load axial test) are studied. A trial section constructed on a real scale. The cores are collected after one year and the stiffness is analysed. The results indicate that conventional emulsifying agents can be partially replaced with nanocellulose crystals in the manufacture of cationic slow-setting bituminous emulsions for grave emulsions.

KEYWORDS:

• Nanocellulose crystals
• nanocellulose fibres
• emulsifier
• bitumen emulsion
• grave emulsion
• trial section

Acknowledgments

The EMULCELL project was co-financed by the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness-Government of Spain, and European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (Ref. IDI-20171097). The authors would also like to thank ‘Repsol’, ‘Química de los Pavimentos’ and ‘Áridos de Astariz’ for providing part of the necessary materials to conduct this research.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness-Government of Spain, and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER): [Grant Number IDI-20171097].