Preparation and Investigation of Novel Diatomite-Supported Epoxy Resin-Modified Asphalt Binder

As a biogenic siliceous sedimentary rock, the surface of diatomite is arrayed with numerous regular small holes and its shell surface exhibits radiation symmetry. In addition to the fact that it can be evenly dispersed in asphalt, its many properties can improve the pavement performance of modified asphalt. For this reason, using diatomite as a supporter and performance-enhancing additive for epoxy asphalt (EA) binder can be one of the feasible alternatives used for optimizing the low compatibility between epoxy resin and asphalt binder. Against this backdrop, the main objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using the diatomite-supported epoxymodifier (DSE) in order to improve the compatibility and pavement performances of modified asphalt. In this study, the diatomite-supported epoxy modified asphalt (DEA) binder was prepared; it also included an investigation into the microstructure, rheological properties, and high-low temperature performances. According to the findings, the incorporation of the diatomite additive significantly improved the compatibility of epoxy resin and asphalt. Because of the reaction of the DSE and the curing agent that formed the three-dimensional curing network in the whole binder system, the DEA binder took on excellent high-temperature resistance. Notably, the amount of DSE and the curing temperature had a significant effect on the viscosity of the DEA binder given that the epoxy resin quality constituted 40 % of the matrix asphalt and its viscosity was within the vicinity of the Japanese TAF epoxy asphalt binder. In addition, the optimal curing temperature of the DEA binder was 120 degrees C, which helped ensure the time of transportation, spreading, and rolling. Although the performance of the DEA binder was poor at low temperatures, it was still better than that of the base asphalt. Additionally, the optimum gradation of the DEA binder was ascertained as matrix asphalt : diatomite : epoxy resin : curing agent = 1:0.4:0.4:0.28.