Physicochemical Characterisation of Bituminous Bound Composite Paving Materials

诺丁汉大学的诺丁汉交通工程中心（NTEC）、伦敦帝国理工学院的“粘合剂、粘合剂和复合材料小组”以及德克萨斯A&M大学的“材料工程小组”将合作开展一系列极具冒险性、投机性、短期、跨学科的可行性研究。可行性研究将在沥青材料的物理化学特性的一般领域，并使用一系列跨学科技术和测试方法，通过人民资助合作取得成功期间开发的材料组分之间的粘合性能和界面关系。此外，通过与有机化学、化学工程和纳米技术等领域的跨学科合作，可行性研究将扩展到与沥青材料的物理化学特性相关的新研究领域。可行性研究将由NTEC沥青技术和路面材料领域的博士后研究人员（PDRA）进行。PDRA将从其现有项目中购买，并在可行性账户期间借调，以进行这些专门的跨学科可行性研究。我们会透过一连串的工作坊、研讨会和沙坑，找出短期研究中成功的跨学科研究范畴，并把这些范畴纳入大规模的研究建议和计划内，因为这些范畴有可能对社会和经济产生重大影响。

A range of highly adventurous, speculative, short-term, cross-disciplinary feasibility studies will be undertaken as a collaboration between the Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre (NTEC) at the University of Nottingham, the 'Adhesion, Adhesives and Composites Group' at Imperial College London and the 'Materials Engineering Group' at Texas A&M University. The feasibility studies will be in the general area of the physicochemical characterisation of asphalt materials and address the adhesive properties and interfacial relationships between the material components using a range of cross-disciplinary techniques and testing methods developed during a Collaborating for Success through People Grant. In addition, the feasibility studies will be extended into new research areas that are linked with the general area of the physicochemical characterisation of asphalt materials through cross-disciplinary collaborations with groups in Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Nanotechnology.The feasibility studies will be undertaken by post-doctoral researchers (PDRAs) working in the area of asphalt technology and pavement materials at NTEC. The PDRAs will be bought out of their existing projects and seconded for the period of the Feasibility Account to undertake these dedicated, cross-disciplinary feasibility studies. Successful areas of cross-disciplinary research resulting from the short-term research studies, in terms of their potential to have a significant impact on society and the economy, will be identified through a series of workshop, seminars and sandpits and built into large scale research proposals and projects.