Development of a Bio-Based Emulsion for Road Pavement Construction and Maintenance
摘要
The paper presents the development of two bio-based emulsions composed of bitumen and a heavy fraction of bio-oil from the thermochemical liquefaction – bio emulsion – and destinated for road pavement construction and maintenance. The bio-oil was extracted from wood residues (biomass) through an innovative liquefaction process. The process involves depolymerizing lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, transforming wood residues into an oligomeric mixture. The liquefaction is an alternative to the pyrolysis process, demonstrating greater efficiency and product stability. The bio emulsions were formulated in the laboratory and applied on two full-scale pilot to validate the production technology at the pre-industrial level. The paper presents the experimental work carried out in the laboratory to develop the bio emulsions, based on rheological and mechanical tests. The paper describes the full-scale road section construction and monitoring through structural tests to validate the performance of the bio emulsion application in the case of track coat to promote adherence between bituminous layers. The experimental results confirmed the adequation of the heavy bio-oil from the liquefaction process for further developments on sustainable road pavement bio-based products. The conclusions highlight the viscoelastic behavior of this type of bio emulsions. The paper presents part of the main outputs of the research project BioRoadPAV®.