Investigation of the Effect of Ultrasonication on the Properties of Feedstock for Production of Compounded Road Asphalts

Abstract

The influence of ultrasound on the physicochemical and rheological properties of bituminous feedstocks (vacuum residues of West Siberian and heavy Arlan oils, heavy vacuum gas oil, distillate oil fraction, black oil fraction) for the manufacturing of road asphalt by compounding a blown product with unoxidized feedstock has been studied. It has been shown that ultrasonication leads to a change in the chemical group composition and decreases the kinematic viscosity and density of the feedstock components. The homogeneity of the compounded asphalts obtained has been assessed by studying dynamic viscosity with a rotational rheometer under conditions of a multiple change (from 1.5 to 30 s^-1) of shear rate. For an asphalt sample obtained by conventional mixing of components, the relative change in dynamic viscosity after the shear load was 58.5%. An asphalt sample obtained by compounding with ultrasonic treatment has shown a smaller change in dynamic viscosity by 32.2% and, hence, better resistance to shear loads during use as part of asphalt concrete.