Performance Evaluation of Desulfurized Rubber Asphalt Based on Rheological and Environmental Effects

Abstract

To understand the performance of desulfurized rubber asphalt (DRA) and its application feasibility comprehensively, the road performance, viscosity–temperature characteristics, rheological properties, storage stability, aging resistance, and environmental performance of DRA were investigated and compared with ordinary rubber (hereinafter called rubberized rubber) asphalt. The test results showed that rubberized rubber asphalt (RRA) performs better than DRA in elastic recovery, aging resistance, and rutting resistance, but DRA performs better than RRA in storage stability and low-temperature performance. DRA has similar fatigue resistance as RRA. Compared with RRA, the construction temperature of DRA can be reduced by about 30°C, which means that DRA has better workability. The performance grade (PG) of DRA was classified as PG 76-34, which indicates that DRA has a wider temperature range and can be applied to lower-temperature environments. In addition, the harmful gas emission of DRA is lower than that of RRA, so DRA is more environmentally friendly. Therefore, it is necessary to modify DRA with compound methodologies to enlarge its application.