Evaluating the Effect of Hydrophobic Nanosilica on the Viscoelasticity Property of Asphalt and Asphalt Mixture

Viscoelasticity property of bitumen is closely related to the service life of bituminous pavement. This paper evaluated the impact of one of the most efficient and widely used nanomaterials in various industries called hydrophobic nanosilica on the viscoelasticity property of bitumen and asphalt mixture. In this paper, three hydrophobic nanosilica modified bitumens and asphalt mixtures were researched by conventional physical properties test, SEM test, FTIR test, DSC test, DSR test, static creep test and dynamic creep test. The results showed that the introduction of hydrophobic nanosilica could strengthen the viscosity of asphalt more effectively and had better dispersion than hydrophilic nanosilica in asphalt. From conventional physical properties test and rheological performance test, hydrophobic nanosilica could weaken the temperature susceptibility of bitumen observably. From DSR test, hydrophobic nanosilica modified asphalt had a lower sensitivity and dependence on temperature and frequency than hydrophilic nanosilica modified asphalt. The Cole–Cole diagrams indicated that hydrophobic nanosilica exhibited good compatibility with asphalt compared with hydrophilic nanosilica. Newly formed chemical bonds were found in the hydrophobic nanosilica modified asphalt and its mixture with stone according to SEM test, FTIR test, and DSC test, which is the biggest difference from the modification mechanism of hydrophilic nanosilica modified asphalt. Through static and dynamic creep test, it found that the addition of hydrophobic nanosilica can significantly reduce the creep strain at the same temperature.