Influence of surface treated montmorillonite nano clay on oxidative aging properties of bitumen

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to address the influence of surfacetreated Montmorillonite Nano Clay (MNC) on aging and temperature susceptibility of base bitumen. This study used a control VG-30 grade bitumen as base binder with different percentages ofMNCby weight of bitumen (3–6% at an increment of 0.5%). Surface modification of MNC was done with Octadecyl amine and Aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The binder’s aging susceptibility was characterized using different aging indices determined based on conventional and performance parameters. The outcome of the aging indices indicates a significant improvement in temperature and aging resistance potential of base bitumen with the incorporation of NC. It can also be stated that an increase in aging resistance can be effective in delaying the intermediate temperature cracking of bitumen. The overall study inferred that the addition of MNC can be considered to sustain bitumen’s oxidative aging.