The Effect of UV Radiation in the Rheological Properties of a Wood-Based Bio-binder

This paper presents an evaluation of the effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the rheological and mechanical behavior of a wood-based bio-binder (Bio A) designed for total substitution of asphalt binders. Bio A comes from pine wood resin biomass. UV aging simulation was done on short-term aged samples. Frequency and temperature sweep tests were carried out to assess the rheological properties of the aged biomaterial, while linear amplitude sweep tests and poker chip tests were used to evaluate its susceptibility to cracking. The results were compared to a petroleum-based asphalt binder taken as reference. The analysis of the results showed that UV aging had higher impact on Bio A than in the asphalt binder, as UV radiation increased the elasticity of the material but reduced its ductility, which makes the bio-binder more susceptible to fatigue and thermal cracking.