EAGER: A Breakthrough Concept in the Preparation of Highly-Sustainable Asphalt Mixtures

这个EAGER研究项目将测试二氧化钛（TiO2）作为沥青粘结剂的改性剂在制备温拌沥青（WMA）时可以作为光催化化合物的假设。这将产生具有优越环境性能的新型沥青混合料，同时提供与传统混合料相当的机械性能。所提出的沥青混合料将结合WMA的优点，如在生产过程中降低能耗和排放，以及TiO2的光催化性能，以捕获和降解空气中的有机和无机颗粒。该提案的结果可能会产生一种新的WMA，可用于减少城市和大都市地区的空气污染，同时通过降低生产和放置沥青混合料时加热所需的燃料量来实现节能，减少排放，并有可能在不提高混合温度的情况下增加混合料中再生沥青路面（RAP）的含量。计划中的活动预计将增进本科生和研究生对可持续建筑材料的了解，特别是在代表性不足的群体中。

This EAGER research project will test the hypothesis that titanium dioxide (TiO2) can function as a photocatalytic compound when used as a modifier to asphalt binder in the preparation of warm-mix asphalt (WMA). This would result in new class of asphalt mixtures with superior environmental performance while providing comparable mechanical performance to conventional mixtures. The proposed asphalt mixture will combine the benefits of WMA such as reduced energy consumption and emission during production with the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 to trap and degrade organic and inorganic particles in the air. The results of this proposal may result in a new class of WMA that may be used to reduce air pollution in urban and metropolitan areas while achieving energy savings by lowering the amount of fuel required to heat asphalt mix during production and placement, reduction of emissions, and possibility of increasing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAP) contents in the mix without the need to raise mixing temperature. The planned activities are expected to enhance the understanding of sustainable construction materials for undergraduate and graduate students especially among underrepresented groups.