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<p>To promote environmental sustainability, renewable biomass sources like carbonaceous biochar offer the pavement industry an alternative that provides a dual benefit: waste management and improved properties of bituminous materials. This research investigates the feasibility of biochar derived from forestry-based biomass used for low-carbon road construction. The hardwood biochar (HBC) was produced in the laboratory through controlled pyrolysis and mixed with bitumen at various percentages. First, an experimental investigation on the key physical properties of unmodified bitumen and HBC modified bitumen was conducted to assess the potential of hardwood biochar in bitumen. Microstructural and chemical analyses were performed on materials and modified bitumen using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction to examine the interactions between hardwood biochar and the bitumen matrix. Secondly, an optimization technique was employed to determine the optimal mix using the response surface methodology (RSM) approach. Finally, gene expression programming (GEP), a soft computing technique, was used to predict key properties and to develop a simple empirical formula for the modified bitumen. The developed quadratic RSM models exhibited a strong correlation (R² &gt; 0.95) between experimental and predicted values. Optimization identified the mix containing 16.6% HBC at 140&#xa0;°C and 30&#xa0;min as optimal, achieving a desirability of 1, with a penetration of 41.5 (0.1&#xa0;mm) and a softening point of 47.95&#xa0;°C. Validation tests confirmed similar results (42 (0.1&#xa0;mm) and 48&#xa0;°C), confirming the model’s reliability and demonstrating that HBC effectively enhances bitumen consistency and thermal stability under India’s diverse climatic conditions.</p>

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Investigation of hardwood biochar-modified bitumen: physical and microstructural evaluation with optimization and soft computing techniques

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月19日

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  • S. Mahalakshmi,
  • Revathy Jayaseelan,
  • Gajalakshmi Pandulu

摘要

To promote environmental sustainability, renewable biomass sources like carbonaceous biochar offer the pavement industry an alternative that provides a dual benefit: waste management and improved properties of bituminous materials. This research investigates the feasibility of biochar derived from forestry-based biomass used for low-carbon road construction. The hardwood biochar (HBC) was produced in the laboratory through controlled pyrolysis and mixed with bitumen at various percentages. First, an experimental investigation on the key physical properties of unmodified bitumen and HBC modified bitumen was conducted to assess the potential of hardwood biochar in bitumen. Microstructural and chemical analyses were performed on materials and modified bitumen using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction to examine the interactions between hardwood biochar and the bitumen matrix. Secondly, an optimization technique was employed to determine the optimal mix using the response surface methodology (RSM) approach. Finally, gene expression programming (GEP), a soft computing technique, was used to predict key properties and to develop a simple empirical formula for the modified bitumen. The developed quadratic RSM models exhibited a strong correlation (R² > 0.95) between experimental and predicted values. Optimization identified the mix containing 16.6% HBC at 140 °C and 30 min as optimal, achieving a desirability of 1, with a penetration of 41.5 (0.1 mm) and a softening point of 47.95 °C. Validation tests confirmed similar results (42 (0.1 mm) and 48 °C), confirming the model’s reliability and demonstrating that HBC effectively enhances bitumen consistency and thermal stability under India’s diverse climatic conditions.