Influence of Carbon Nanotubes on Performance Properties and Storage Stability of SBS Modified Asphalt Binders

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as a binder modifier on the performance properties of asphalt binders and storage stability of polymer modified binders. Performance characteristics of CNT modified binders were investigated through physical and rheological tests such as penetration index (PI), viscosity temperature susceptibility (VTS), temperature susceptibility (TS), and frequency sweep tests. Furthermore, the influence of CNT on storage stability of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified binders was investigated by measuring rheological properties like separation index (SI), separation ratio ($R_s$ ), degradation ratio ($R_d$ ), and softening point difference (SPD) of the triple nanocomposite. The results indicated that the addition of CNT decreased PI, TS, and VTS and improved physical and rheological properties of the asphalt binder. Also, the results showed a significant relationship between the CNT content and PI, TS, and VTS in CNT modified binders. Regarding storage stability, adding CNT to the SBS modified binder resulted in improved stability, indicating a strong interaction between the asphalt binder and SBS polymer.