Compatibility and Storage Stability of Asphalt Binder Modified by Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) Graft Copolymer

A styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) was grafted with an unsaturated polar monomer (monomer A) composed of maleic anhydride (MAH) and methoxy polyethylene (MPEG) via a ring-opening reaction after epoxidizing styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (ESBS). The microscopic changes of SBS before and after grafting has been characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results revealed that the monomer A was successfully grafted on SBS backbone, and the maximum graft ratio (GR) was 20.32%. To verify the compatibility between SBS and asphalt, solubility parameters and surface free energy (SFE) of SBS, grafted SBS and asphalt were measured. It was found that the solubility parameter and SFE of grafted SBS were closer to asphalt compared with SBS. It also has been confirmed from storage stability that the temperature susceptibility of grafted SBS modified asphalt was reduced in compare with SBS modified asphalt binder. As consequence, the use of grafted copolymer can be considered a suitable alternative for modification of asphalt binder in pavement.