Solar Responsive Asphalt for Sustainable and Environmental Friendly Pavements

美国有超过564万英里的道路是用沥青修建的。由于大量的太阳能吸收，黑色的沥青会使道路在夏天变得非常热。相关的热量和气味有助于城市热岛效应，并对道路使用者（司机、骑自行车者、行人）的健康产生负面影响。高温路面还会因沥青粘结剂的渗漏和路面车辙加速而降低路面寿命。该项目将研究创新的太阳能响应热变色沥青，以管理路面的热负荷。这种新材料具有高温高太阳辐射和低温高太阳吸收率的特点。因此，它将使道路在夏天更凉爽，在冬天更温暖。这两方面都会提高沥青路面的耐久性。这项研究可以通过促进寿命和环境友好性，将目前的铺装行业引入可持续发展的实践。它将通过量身定制的课程和研究计划培养本科生和研究生，提高年轻研究人员的跨学科能力。本研究的目的是了解有效设计、生产和评估多功能热变色沥青的科学原理。在材料设计方面，研究活动旨在通过理解决定热致变色沥青多功能特性的微观相互作用来制定和实施性能驱动的设计矩阵。在材料加工方面，活动旨在了解加工条件对沥青粘合剂与热致变色粉末之间微观相互作用的影响。这将决定工厂生产的不可扩展性。3)在性能评价方面，旨在评价热致变色沥青的多功能性能，并纳入全生命周期成本效益分析。这个研究项目将推进当前结构材料的设计理念，从主要的机械焦点到多功能设计矩阵。这项研究的创新将提供一种持久和环保的建筑材料。知识发现的过程也将扩展复合材料的光学和热相互作用的现有知识。

Over 5.64 million miles of the U.S. roads are built with asphalt. The black color of asphalt can make the road unpleasantly hot during summer due to its large solar absorption. The associated heat and smell contribute to urban heat island effects and negatively impacts the health of road users (drivers, bikers, pedestrians). The high road temperature also reduces pavement life due to bleeding of asphalt binder and accelerated pavement rutting. This project will study innovative solar responsive thermochromic asphalt to manage the thermal loads to pavements. This new material will feature high solar radiation at high temperature and high solar absorbance at low temperature. Therefore, it will make the road cooler during summer and warmer during winter. Both aspects will improve the durability of asphalt roads. This research could lead the current paving industry into a sustainable practice by promoting longevity and environmental friendliness. It will train undergraduate and graduate students through a tailored curriculum and research program that increases the interdisciplinary competencies of young researchers. The objective of this research is to understand the scientific principles enabling effective design, production and assessment of multifunctional thermochromic asphalt. In the material design aspects, research activities aim to formulate and implement a performance-driven design matrix by understanding the microscopic interactions that determine the multifunctional properties of thermochromic asphalt. In the material processing aspects, the activities aim to understand the effects of processing conditions on the microscopic interactions between asphalt binder and thermochromic powders. This will determine the unscalability for plant production. 3) In the performance assessment aspect, it aims to assess the multifunctional performance of thermochromic asphalt and include into life cycle cost benefits analyses. This research project will advance the current design philosophy of structural materials from a primarily mechanical focus to a multifunctional design matrix. The innovation from this research will provide a long lasting and environmental friendly construction material. The process of knowledge discovery will also expand the current knowledge on optical and thermal interactions of composite materials.