Evaluation of Adhesion and Moisture Susceptibility of Cotton Stalk Modified Bitumen

Abstract

Worldwide, the improper disposal of agricultural waste poses a major threat to the environment. One of the primary topics of modern research in pavement engineering is the environmentally sustainable disposal of waste by utilizing it as a modifier in bitumen. It has been discovered that biochar, which is made from a variety of agricultural wastes, can be used to alter or partially replace the traditional bitumen. Using Cotton Stalk (CS) waste to create biochar for utilization in bitumen can enhance the characteristics of the binder while helping to mitigate the environmental issues. In this study, CS biochar modified binder at weight percentages of 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% has been investigated to evaluate the effects on the characteristics of the control binder. In addition to the standard binder tests, the bitumen bond strength test and the rolling bottle test are performed to determine the modified binder adhesion and moisture susceptibility. Based on the findings of this research, a biochar-modified binder with a weight percentage of 8% of the total binder content exhibited the best adhesion and moisture susceptibility. There was a noticeable performance increase when biochar and bitumen were mixed together in an optimal manner. Biochar's potential to reduce environmental effects and improve bitumen's performance makes it an attractive option for binder modification in the pavement sector in subtropical and tropical areas.