Technology looking for commercilization: Water-Repelling Aggregates and Sands for Asphalt Pavements
Technology: Water-Repelling Aggregates and Sands for Asphalt Pavement
Water-repelling aggregates and sands are rock materials engineered with water-repellent properties by treating with water-repellent coatings, making the aggregates ideal for asphalt pavements to minimize water absorption.
At Michigan Tech, we have developed a technology to modify aggregates (rocks) from water-absorbing into water-repelling. This technique
· Doesn’t change the chemical composition of aggregates
· Doesn’t change particle size and shape of aggregates
· Doesn’t change the mechanical properties of aggregates
· Doesn’t change the colors of the rocks
It’s only added a transparent nanoscale membrane on the surfaces of aggregates (in chunks, gravels, sands or fines) to improve the surface chemistry of rocks - this membrane blocks the moisture infiltration to aggregates, meanwhile, significantly increase adhesion of aggregate-bitumen.
Benefits Using Water-repelling Aggregates
· Enhance interfacial adhesion of rocks-bitumen to minimize the nucleation and propagation of microcracks and other defects on the interfaces
· Restrict water and moisture infiltration into the particles, further reduce moisture impacts
· Improve the driving safety where the pavement surface is covered with water and minimize freeze-thaw effects in cold areas
· Significantly reduce the loss of bitumen on the pavement surface from raveling, distortions and cracking with the stronger adhesion
· Improve the surface fraction of the pavement to the tires of driving vehicles without wearing out the tire surface
· Covering the pavement surface with fine granules will reduce the aging of asphalt binder from UV radiation, and heat absorption of the surface from sunlight
· Covering road surface with fine granules will restore the pavement smoothness and reduce noise
Overall: Prevent deterioration - reducing the risk of freeze-thaw damage, cracking, and structural weakening over time; Improves the durability of pavement, ensuring stability even in challenging environmental conditions.
Please Contact Dr. Bowen Li for more information:
Address: 511 Minerals and Materials Building, Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, USA.
Email: boli@mtu.edu
Phone: +1 (906)487-4325