Study on the inhibition effect and mechanism of basic zinc carbonate composite asphalt fumes suppressant

To reduce or eliminate harmful components in asphalt fumes, a novel kind of asphalt fume suppressant based on basic zinc carbonate (Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6) as the main component was developed. The fume suppression effect of the fume suppressant was evaluated by two indexes of volatility of asphalt fumes and release amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The effects of the addition amount of fume suppressant on the fume suppression effect, the conventional and rheological properties of asphalt were tested, and the optimal addition amount was determined. The fume suppression mechanism of the fume suppressant was discussed by testing the chemical changes of Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 before and after adding to asphalt. The results show that the fume suppressant based on Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 not only has a good fume suppression effect, but also has almost no effect on the performances and the functional groups of asphalt. In short, the fume suppressant can effectively reduce the emission of asphalt fumes, with low dosage and low cost. It can be used for the production of environmentally friendly asphalt. [Display omitted] •A novel fume suppressant based on basic zinc carbonate was developed.•The fume suppressant has good fume suppression effect on asphalt fume.•The fume suppressant has no effect on the basic performance of asphalt.•The vulcanization reaction only occurred on the basic zinc carbonate surface.