Speaker
Description
Abstract. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) has emerged as a powerful tool for evaluating the performance of asphalt binders. Its ability to analyze both the chemical composition and molecular structure of mate-rials provides essential insights into the changes that occur during the bi-tumen modification process. A key area of application is the investigation of shared components in bitumen modified with rubber. Recently, the mod-ification of crumb rubber bitumen has shifted from the wet process to the dry process, which involves pre-activation of the crumb rubber surface, re-sulting in what is known as Reacted and Activated Rubber (RAR). Since the modification process entails both physical and chemical interactions be-tween the components, analyzing these interactions is crucial, and FTIR emerges as a viable tool for this purpose. This study focused on analyzing crumb rubber modified bitumen with varying rubber content, examining the chemical changes and correlating them with performance-related parameters. The findings indicate that FTIR can be effectively used as a fingerprint tool for crumb rubber modified bitumen. It also suggests that the modification process, particularly when using RAR, is more of a physical process than a chemical one.
