1366834 - Modification of Asphalt Binders with Ocean Plastic Waste: Characterization of Binder Performance

Roughly eight million metric tons of plastic waste pollute the world's oceans annually and detrimentally impact the environment. Researchers across the globe, therefore, are always looking for a sustainable approach for the use of ocean plastics wastes. An attractive approach to address this problem is to create an asphalt additive derived from ocean plastic waste (OPW). The asphalt road construction industry is one of the nation's most sustainable industries and could be a significant potential outlet for plastic waste. Furthermore, this approach could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for additional new petrochemical polymers. This study shows the feasibility of using ocean plastic waste as a feedstock for additives to improve binder performance. Near-shore and ocean-bound plastic were identified and analyzed using near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). Analysis and the characterization of plastics modified binder with viscosity-temperature susceptibility and stability test were performed to understand the plastic types and their influence on the binder, respectively. Thirty-three different plastics modified binders composed of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), nylon, and polypropylene were tested. Modified HDPE and certain types of nylon were found to significantly improve binder properties opening a door for the sustainable utilization of OPW as an asphalt modifier.