Waste cooking oil as a sustainable solution for UV-aged asphalt binder: Rheological, chemical and molecular structure

Recycling of UV-aged asphalt has been a hot research issue. In this paper, waste cooking oil, plasticizer, toughener, and petroleum resin were used as raw materials for asphalt rejuvenator. This paper explores the effect of regeneration conditions on the regeneration effect of UV-aged asphalt binders through high-temperature rheology and chemical compositions. The paper also attempts to reveal the regeneration mechanism of asphalt binder regeneration using waste cooking oil. Dynamic shear rheology (DSR) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy assess high-temperature rheological properties and chemical compositions. The Pearson correlation coefficient relates the rheological parameters to the chemical microstructure. And the functional relationship between carbonyl-corrected peak area and aging factor Ai of recycled asphalt and high temperature rheological parameters were established. Molecular simulation investigates WCO-recycled asphalt binder micro-morphology and adsorption mechanisms. The results showed that significant changes in the carbonyl and sulfoxide peak areas affected the high-temperature rheological properties. Regeneration conditions significantly affect asphalt regeneration effectiveness. WCO reduces CO and SO groups, crucial in asphalt viscoelastic behavior. Molecular interaction analysis reveals WCO's regenerative mechanism. This work emphasizes integrating molecular structure, chemical composition, and macroscopic properties in asphalt binder research, providing insights for sustainable pavement practices.