Impact of palm-oil rejuvenators on the adhesion durability of asphalt-aggregate systems

Abstract

Moisture damage in asphalt mixtures impacts the durability of asphalt pavements, leading to increased transportation costs and reduced service life. While anti-stripping additives are commonly used to mitigate this phenomenon, ensuring durability remains a challenge, particularly in mixtures that include additional components, such as reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Although rejuvenators have been proposed to restore some performance properties of high-RAP-content mixtures, their impact on adhesion durability remains unexplored. This study assesses the effect of palm-oil rejuvenators on the adhesion durability of asphalt-aggregate systems subjected to moisture conditions. Aggregate-binder specimens fabricated with one type of aggregate and multiple binders (virgin asphalt, blends of asphalt and aged RAP-binder, and rejuvenated asphalts blends) were tested using a recently developed pull-off adhesion test under dry conditions and after 3 and 7 days of water conditioning. The results demonstrate that palm-oil rejuvenators partially restored adhesion durability in asphalt-aggregate systems in dry and moisture conditions, highlighting their potential for enhancing not only the performance properties of the mixture, but also its durability.