Structural, morphological, rheological study of chitosan modified bitumen composite

The unavoidable aging of road pavements due to years of exposure to heavy traffic volume and climatic and environmental changes finally results in a decrease in the performance of the asphalt binder and the performance of the pavement. One of the major causes of road failures is due to poor performance of bitumen pavements and their maintenance. Rutting during hot summer and cracking during winter are the most common problems in the performance of bituminous roads (50 mm or thicker). In the present study, chitosan which is a crustacean waste, and nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) which is a shoe sole waste are used as reinforcement materials in bitumen. Basic engineering tests rolling thin film test (RTFO), pressure aging vessel (PAV), etc, were performed on the bitumen composite to understand the impact of additives on bitumen’s physical characteristics. Advanced characterization methods, including x-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDAX), Raman Spectroscopy, Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), Multiple stress Creep recovery (MSCR) were employed to examine the structural, morphological, compositional, and performance characteristics of bitumen.