Medidas de adesão entre agregado e ligante asfáltico

Abstract

Adhesion between the asphalt binder and the aggregate is critical to the performance and durability of asphalt mixtures. According to the literature, distresses mechanisms such as fatigue cracking and moisture induced damage are correlated to the nature and quality of adhesion between these two materials. Different mechanisms already exist to explain adhesion, but they can be summa- rized in three main groups: mechanical interlocking, physical adhesion and chemical interaction. Although discussions of isolated theo- ries and mechanisms help to clarify the understanding of adhesion, they can rarely be separated completely to each other. The physical and chemical characteristics of asphalt and aggregate will in fact determine the relevance of each of these mechanisms. This study presents the results of two procedures for adhesion measurement: (i) an indirect method based on the surface free energy components of asphalt binder and aggregate; and (ii) the determination of the enthalpy of immersion through the use of a microcalorimeter. The materials used, a gravel as aggregate and three different neat asphalts, were provided by the Strategic Highway Research Program's Material Reference Library. The results showed the capacity of the microcalorimeter in detecting possible chemical reactions together with physical adhesion. The presence of functional groups more strongly adsorbed by the aggregate surface justified the higher values of the heat of immersion.