Numerical investigation on phase separation in polymer-modified bitumen: effect of thermal condition

With the aim to understand the effect of thermal condition on phase separation in polymer-modified bitumen (PMB), this paper numerically investigates four PMB binders under five thermal conditions between 140 and 180 °C. Based on a phase-field model previously developed by the authors for PMB phase separation, the updated model presented in this paper uses temperature-dependent parameters in order to approach the concerned temperature range, including mobility coefficients, interaction and dilution parameters. The model is implemented in a finite element software package and calibrated with the experimental observations of the four PMBs. The experimental results are well reproduced by the model, and it is thus believed that the calibrated parameters can represent the four PMBs. The simulation results indicate that the model proposed in this paper is capable of capturing the stability differences among the four PMBs and their distinct microstructures at different temperatures. Due to the transition of some PMBs from the thermodynamically stable state at 180 °C to the unstable state at 140 °C, a homogenization process may occur during the cooling applied numerically. After the transition, the PMBs start to separate into two phases and gradually form the binary structures controlled by the temperature. It is indicated that the cooling rate slightly affects the final pattern of the PMB binary microstructure, although the process can be more complicated in reality due to the potential dynamic reasons.