Review of ultraviolet ageing mechanisms and anti-ageing methods for asphalt binders

Abstract

Asphalt binder is inevitably aged by ultraviolet (UV) light during its service period. UV ageing can significantly decrease the technical properties of asphalt binder. The sensitivity of asphalt to UV ageing and thermal-oxidative ageing differs, such that the UV ageing performance cannot be determined based on the thermal-oxidative ageing performance. Previous researches mainly focused on the chemical composite and technical performance changes of asphalt binder during UV ageing, and the UV light parameters effect on the ageing rate of asphalt binder. However, the theory for characterizing and explaining the development of UV ageing depth does not get too much attentions, and the UV ageing mechanism of asphalt binder is not very clear. Therefore, it cannot guide to develop or select the good methods or anti-UV ageing additives for asphalt binders. This paper focuses on the latest researches of the mechanisms and anti-ageing methods of asphalt binders. With the increase of UV ageing time, the UV ageing of asphalt binder develops gradually from the surface to inner part. There are various methods, such as low-penetration grade asphalt, less air void ratio, UV stabilizers and UV light absorbers, that can improve the UV ageing resistance of asphalt binders. A new theory of sensitive wavelengths of asphalt UV ageing is proposed, which can enrich the basic theory of asphalt UV ageing. Depending on this theory, different wavelengths of UV light have different ageing effects on asphalt binder. The composite anti-UV ageing additives with barrier and specific absorption effects on UV light is proposed, and may have better improvement effect on the anti-UV ageing performance of asphalt binder.