Hybrid Petroleum-Tar Binder for Hot-Mix Asphalt Concrete

The well-known petroleum bitumen is a soft material under traffic loads and very susceptible to washing out by water. This properties result in high rates of rutting and raveling of the asphalt pavement constructed using bitumen. On the other hand, coal tar is a very highly aromatic mixture which is of a high molecular non-modified weight and rigidity and water insolubility at room and high temperatures. Meanwhile, the existence of poly aromatic rings in tar has made its applications very limited. Blending some low percentages of coal tar with vacuum bottom residue results in preparation of a mixture which is very resistant to deformation witnessed by a higher Marshal strength and a lower Marshal flow for the asphalt concrete prepared using coal-tar/VB blend as binder. The conventional physical properties of the binder are also confirming superiority of the blended binder.

Keywords:

bitumen , coal tar , blending vacuum bottom , asphalt