The Effect of Carbon Nanotubes on the Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Asphalt and Bitumen

The current research assessed the effect of carbon nano tubes (CNTs) on the mechanical and rheological behavior of asphalt and bitumen samples. In this paper, different contents of CNTs are used for the modification of the asphalt and bitumen samples. For this study, softening point and penetration tests were done to evaluate the performance of different samples. CNTs was completely characterized in terms of morphological and structural properties. The effect of CNTs on the rheological behavior of samples was investigated by central composite design (CCD) experimental design and response surface methodology (RSM). The results of the Marshall test indicated that the stability of samples containing CNTs increased due to the more effective presence of CNTs in asphalt mixtures compared to the base asphalt. The results indicated that the use of CNTs as an additive has increased the softening point, reduced the degree of penetration and improved the performance characteristics of bitumen compared to base bitumen.