Abstract

Asphalt is commonly used in road paving and construction due to its excellent waterproofing and adhesive properties. However, when used alone at low temperatures, its physical properties, such as fluidity and adhesion, can significantly deteriorate. To address these issues, elastomer materials such as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymer and natural rubber (NR) are often employed as modifiers, allowing asphalt to retain its adhesiveness and flexibility over a wide temperature range. However, the effective dispersion of SBS copolymer and NR typically requires high temperatures (170-200°C), which leads to increased energy consumption, reduced processing efficiency, and longer dispersion times. To overcome these limitations, we synthesized liquid epoxidized natural rubber (LENR) through the epoxidation and depolymerization of NR. LENR can be blended with asphalt at lower processing temperatures (below 160°C) and has demonstrated improvements in the physical properties of asphalt, including tensile, adhesion, and wet-adhesion strengths. We investigated the relationship between the mixing ratio of LENR and physical performance of asphalt sheets, highlighting its potential as an effective asphalt modifier.

Keywords: natural rubber;liquid rubber;asphalt;adhesion;modifier