Effect of Oils on SBS Modified Asphalt: Rheological Characteristics and Oxidation Aging

This study focuses on the effect of oils on rheology and oxidation aging of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene modified asphalt (SBSMA) in the long term, after reducing one low-temperature Performance Grade (PG) of SBSMA by incorporating oils. Two oils, including corn-based bio-oil and re-refined engine oil bottom (REOB), were selected to enhance the low-temperature performance of SBSMA. All samples were subjected to Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) aging and 20-h as well as 40-h Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV20 and PAV40) aging, prior to multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), frequency sweep and Flourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) scanning. A good high-temperature performance of oil/SBS modified asphalt blends was reflected in MSCR and PG results, meanwhile non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr) and recovery (R) were found to share a highly correlated relationship during aging progress. In addition, Glover-Rowe (G-R) parameter and phase angle master curves suggest that the improvement of cracking property mainly came from the softening effect of oils. Adding oils into SBSMA was observed to increase oxidation kinetics, but the blends with oils still exhibited better anti-oxidation aging than the base binder, mainly due to the SBS addition. Bio-oil exhibited an effect of relieving age hardening susceptibility of SBSMA.