Evaluation of Waste Tire Pyrolytic Oil as a Rejuvenation Agent for Unmodified, Polymer-Modified, and Rubber-Modified Aged Asphalt Binders

This study evaluated tire pyrolytic oil (TPO) derived from waste tire pyrolysis as a rejuvenating agent for three types of aged asphalt binders (unmodified, polymer-modified, and crumb rubber–modified). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was performed to identify chemical compounds present in TPO. The rheological characteristics of all binders were examined through the complex viscosity–frequency profile, zero-shear viscosity, failure temperature, Black space diagrams, Cole–Cole plots, Superpave fatigue parameter, Glover–Rowe parameter, and linear amplitude sweep (LAS) tests. Mass loss was also determined for the rejuvenated binders. All binders were subjected to Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, and sulfoxide and carbonyl indices were computed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was conducted to study the effect of TPO on the micromorphology of the binders. The normalized Euclidean distance approach was used to rank the rejuvenated binders with respect to the proximity of their rheological and FTIR characteristics to that of the unaged binder. The use of TPO as a rejuvenating agent enabled the aged binders to achieve properties comparable to those of the unaged asphalt binder. The AFM-based rejuvenation index (RI) indicated a good potential of TPO as a rejuvenator. The results of the binder rheological parameters and the FTIR indicators investigated in the study indicated that a 9% dosage of TPO as a rejuvenating agent was the most effective.