Enhancing the properties and engineering performance of asphalt binders and mixtures with physicochemically treated waste wind turbine blades

Abstract

The repurposing of waste wind turbine blades (WTB) for asphalt binder modification holds substantial promise for advancing sustainability and resource recovery. However, existing studies indicate that waste WTB has a limited impact on enhancing the high-temperature performance of asphalt binder and may negatively affect its ductility. Additionally, there is limited research on the pavement performance of asphalt binder modified with waste WTB. This study introduces a novel physicochemical combination approach, involving the physical coating of WTB with polymerized Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) for toughness enhancement and the chemical grafting of a silane coupling agent to improve both the WTB-asphalt binder and WTB-SBR interfaces. The resulting modifier, a core-shell structure denoted as SBR-Si-rWTB, demonstrates remarkable enhancements in high-temperature deformation resistance, rutting resistance, temperature sensitivity, and ductility of the asphalt. Compared to the base asphalt mixture, the SBR-Si-rWTB modified asphalt mixture demonstrates a 13.8 % increase in water stability and a 1669 pass/mm increase in dynamic stability, indicating enhanced high-temperature stability. Additionally, the modified asphalt mixture exhibits superior low-temperature crack resistance, with a significant reduction in stiffness at −10 °C. The service life of the SBR-Si-rWTB modified asphalt mixture is also extended compared to the unmodified mixture. This innovative approach provides a sustainable and cost-effective solution for WTB repurposing, advancing asphalt pavement technology and sustainability.