Effect of FT Paraffin Wax Contents on Performance Properties of Crumb Rubber–Modified Asphalt Binders

Abstract

The performance properties of rubberized asphalt binders at high, intermediate, and low temperatures were evaluated as a function of Fischer–Tropsch (FT)–paraffin wax content. The rubberized binders were blended using five different wax content levels (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5% by binder weight) to produce warm rubberized binders. They were then artificially aged over the short term and long term through the rolling thin film oven (RTFO) and pressure aging vessel (PAV) procedures. Superpave binder tests were performed with the rotational viscometer, the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and the bending beam rheometer (BBR). In general, the results of this study suggested that (1) the viscosity of rubberized binders at 135°C can be reduced by the addition of a wax additive, as expected; (2) the rubberized binders with higher wax content can result in binder performance that meets current Superpave binder requirements, especially for cracking resistance parameters (i.e.,