ON THE CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCING POLYMER-BITUMEN BINDERS

To improve the physical, chemical and operational characteristics of the bitumen binder, and accordingly, to increase the durability of the road surface, the bitumen binder is modified with polymer additives. The main purpose of introducing a polymer modifier into bitumen is to reduce the temperature sensitivity of the bitumen binder, while simultaneously giving it hardness and elasticity in a wide range of operating temperatures. Such a material has increased plasticity and elasticity, a wide temperature range of operation. With the correct selection of components, the resulting polymer-bitumen binder (PBB) has the necessary shear resistance, crack and frost resistance and, of course, durability. The introduction of an additional component – a plasticizer – into the composition of polymer-bitumen binders (PBB) allows you to adjust the group chemical composition, the structure of the material. The quality indicators of the obtained PBB are affected by a combination of factors: the properties of the initial components, their affinity with each other and with the matrix – bitumen binder, the selected production technology, and the process parameters.The purpose of the work was to study various technologies for PBB producing, which would allow selecting the optimal composition of binders and achieving their quality indicators close to the requirements of State Standard R 52056-2003 or exceeding its values. Technology I consisted of PBB producing based on deeply oxidized bitumen and a pre-prepared polymer solution in a plasticizer. Technology II consisted of modifying deeply oxidized bitumen with a polymer followed by compounding with a plasticizer consisting of tar and vacuum gas oil.Improved low-temperature properties and high resistance to aging distinguished the obtained PBB, compared with traditional oxidized bitumens. By regulating the group composition and achieving optimal ratios between aromatic and paraffin-naphthenic components, it is possible to achieve changes in the operational properties of PBB, and the use of Technology II made it possible to obtain samples with high quality characteristics in accordance with State Standard R 52056-2003.