Combined modification of asphalt by waste PE and rubber

Waste PE (WPE) and rubber were combined to modify the ordinary oil asphalt in order to improve the performance of asphalt. In this study, the recycled waste packing polymer replacing the ordinary polymer modifiers modified the road asphalt through mechanical mixing for the first time. Results showed that softening point and ductility of asphalt increased, while the penetration degree decreased after the modification. The overall performance of the asphalt/WPE/RU system was superior to that of the asphalt/WPE system. FT-IR analysis indicated that the modification actually was a physical process. The microstructure of the modified asphalt indicated that the shear yield and crack-branching caused by the waste rubber powder were the main reasons for the improvement of the performance of asphalt.