Recycling of Waste Sulfur and Waste Polyethylene in Paving Mixtures

• Published in: International journal of pavement research & technology 2024-11, Vol.17 (6), p.1468-1479
• Main Authors: Al-Hadidy, A. I., Hameed, Ayman Talib, Joni, Hasan Hamodi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asphalt; Asphalt mixes; Bend strength; Binders (materials); Building Construction and Design; Calcium carbonate; Civil Engineering; Concrete; Crack propagation; Deformation; Durability; Engineering; Fillers; Original Research Paper; Paving; Performance evaluation; Polyethylene; Polyethylenes; Recycled materials; Stability criteria; Stability tests; Structural Materials; Styrenes; Sulfur; Sustainable materials; Tensile strength
• ISSN: 1996-6814; 1997-1400
• DOI: 10.1007/s42947-023-00309-8

Sulfur waste (SW) materials have been used by the many as a sustainable filler in paving mixtures to lessen the use of a common filler (calcium carbonate, CaCO 3 ). Whereas, waste polyethylene (WPE) materials have accumulated in Iraq and worldwide, which poses both costly disposal concerns and environmental issues. This study compares the performance and durability of sulfur waste asphalt mixtures containing WPE and styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS). For the purpose of the study, mixtures of sulfur waste asphalt concrete (also known as SWAC) with SBS, and WPE-asphalt binders were created. The weight of SBS and WPE polymers was also set at 5 percent, while the SW concentration in the asphalt concrete (AC) mixture was fixed at 5% (by weight of aggregate). The Marshall stability test, the Marshall quotient test, indirect tension, the tensile strength ratio test, the semi-circular bend test, and the deformation strength test in the Kim tests were the ones that were carried out in order to evaluate the performance and the durability. According to the findings of these tests, each and every combination of SBS, and WPE-SWAC satisfies the minimal ASTM criteria of 8 kN stability, 2–4 mm flow, and 3–5% air voids while maintaining the same ideal binder concentration. The performance and durability of the SBS-SWAC mixture was superior to those of the WPE-SWAC mixture (i.e., lowering of deformation phenomenon, crack propagation, and moisture damage). In addition, WPE can be recycled and used as sustainable materials with SW for paving applications.