Unravelling the role of a green rejuvenator agent in contrasting the aging effect on bitumen: A dynamics rheology, nuclear magnetic relaxometry and self-diffusion study

This paper evaluated the potentialities of a green and biocompatible rejuvenator agent (HR) in conferring an appreciable resistance against the effects caused by artificial aging on a given bitumen. Both neat and aged bitumens were analyzed and compared to analogous samples modified with HR. Control samples containing a vegetable oil as softening agent were also tested for comparison. The tested samples were subjected to a second aging cycle. Structural differences between the samples were carried out through an inverse Laplace transform of the NMR spin-echo decay (T2) and self-diffusion measurements by pulsed gradient spin echo nuclear magnetic resonance (PGSE-NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, dynamic rheological analyses were conducted to determine the dependence of the gel-sol transition temperature on both the type of additive and ageing process. The present study clearly highlighted the fact that artificial ageing, realized here by the rolling thin film oven test (RTFOT) and the pressure ageing vessel (PAV) test, induced important structural modifications. The analysis of relaxation times and self-diffusion coefficients indicated that ageing promoted the formation of molecular populations characterized by a shift of the distribution toward higher molecular weights compared to unaged bitumen. Diffusion data showed also an Arrhenius-like temperature dependence. A correlation between all the data was attempted to understand the role of the investigated additives. The eco-friendly biocompatible rejuvenator helped not only to restore the structure of the aged bitumen, but even slowed down the processes of a second aging (aiming at the first aged sample).