MODIFICATION OF BITUMEN BY USING

PLASTIC WASTE
A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement
For the Degree of the

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
By

AMIT KOHALI
Enrollment no. -151340107008
Under the Supervision of

MR. AVINASH P
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
&
MR. MANISH
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GOPESHWAR

TO THE

FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

UTTARAKHAND TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
DEHRADUN
MAY, 2019
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the work which is being presented in the dissertion entitled
“MODIFICATION OF BITUMEN BY USING PLASTIC WASTE” in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Technology in civil
engineering, submitted in Department of Civil Engineering, Institute of Technology
Gopeshwar, Chamoli is an authentic record of my own work carried carried out from april,
2019 to may, 2019 under the guidance of Mr. Avinash P, h.o.d department of civil
enginnering and Mr. Manish, Assistant Professor, department of civil enginnering, Institute
of Technology, Gopeshwar, Chamoli.

The matter embodied in this dissertation has not been submitted by me for award of any other
degree or diploma.

Place- Gopeshwar AMIT KOHALI

Dated -

ii
 CERTIFICATE

This is certified that Amit Kohali (151340107008) has carried out the research work
presented in this project entitled "Modification of Bitumen By Using Plastic Waste" for the
award of Bachelors of Technology from Institute of Technology, Gopeshwar under my/our
supervision. The thesis embodies results of original work, and the student himself carries out
studies and the contents of the thesis do not form the basis for the award of any other degree to
the candidate or to anybody else from this or any other University/Institution.

Signature
Signature
Mr. Manish Negi
Mr. Avinash
Assistant Prof. Department of civil
H.o.D Department of Civil
Engineering
Engineering
I.T Gopeshwar
I.T.Gopeshwar

Date:

iii
 MODIFICATION OF BITUMEN BY USING PLASTIC WASTE

ABSTRACT

With the increasing of modernization, plastic is being a part of human life. In all the activities
of human life plastic is essential. i.e. food product’s wrapper, soft drinks bottle, water bottle,
shopping bags, electric cable line and so many plastic made products. Plastic is found in
different forms ie almost 5% amongst municipal solid waste, it can be prove toxic in nature. It
is a common sight in both rural and urban areas to find empty plastic bottle and many plastic
material littering the roads as well as drains. Due to its biodegradability, it creates stagnation
of water and associated hygiene problem. In order to contain this problem experiments are
carried out whether this plastic can be reused productively in road construction. By mixing
plastic with bitumen give best result than the plain bitumen. In this study an attempt is made to
find out properties of bitumen by mixing plastic in it. After properties of plain bitumen and
modified bitumen studied the comparison made between plain bitumen and modified bitumen.

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I record my profound reverence and keen gratitude to my supervisor Mr.Avinash, H.o.D of

the Department of Civil Engineering, Institute of Technology Gopeshwar for his constant
guidance, consistent supervision, resourceful criticism, valuable suggestions and precious time
given for completion of this study, which encouraged me to grow towards my goal. I express
my sincere regards to Mr. Manish, Assistant Prof. of civil engineering. I also thank to Mr.
Pankaj Tiwari, Lab. Assistant, Transportation engineering laboratory for their constant
help, support and cooperation throughout the study especially during the course of
experimentation for successful completion of this work. I would forever remain grateful to
them.
I am also very grateful to Mr. Birendra Singh of workshop lab for his continuous help and
provide us required instrument during the experiments.

v
 TABLE OF CONTENT

Content page no.

DECLARATION----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II
CERTIFICATE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ III
ABSTRACT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- V
TABLE OF CONTENT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VI
LIST OF TABLES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VIII
LIST OF FIGURES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IX
CHAPTER 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.1. INTRODUCTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.1.1 GENERAL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.2.1. OVERVIEW -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.2.2. OBJECTIVE OF MIX DESIGN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
TYPE OF MIX-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.2. POLYMER MODIFICATION OF BASE COARSE ------------------------------------------------------------ 2
1.2.1. NEED OF HOUR --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
1.2.2. WASTE PLASTIC IS A CONCERN ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
1.2.3. ROLE OF PLASTIC OR POLYMER IN PAVEMENT ------------------------------------------------------ 3
CHAPTER 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
LITERATURE REVIEW ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
CHAPTER 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
2. MATERIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
3.1. BASIC MATERIALS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
3.1.1. AGGREGATE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5
3.1.2. FILLER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
3.1.3. BITUMEN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
3.1.4. PROPERTIES OF USED MATERIAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
3.1.4.1. AGGREGATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
3.1.4.2. BITUMEN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
3.1.4.3. FILLER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
3.1.5. PLASTIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9
3.1.5.1. SHREDDING ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
CHAPTER 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1. EXPERIMENTAL MEDHOLOGY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.1. GENERAL---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.2. TESTS CONDUCTED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.2.1. PENETRATION TEST ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.2.1.1. APPARATUS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.2.1.1.1. CONTAINER ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.2.1.1.2. WATER BATH --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.2.1.1.3. PENETRATION APPARATUS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4.1.2.1.1.4. THERMOMETER------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11
4.1.2.1.2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

vi
4.1.2.1.3. RESULT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16
4.1.2.2. SOFTENING POINT TEST ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
4.1.2.2.1. GENERAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17
4.1.2.2.2. APPARATUS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
4.1.2.2.2.1. RING AND BALL APPARTAUS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
4.1.2.2.2.2. STEEL BALLS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
4.1.2.2.2.3. THERMOMETER------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18
4.1.2.2.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18
4.1.2.2.4. RESULT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19
4.1.2.3. MARSHALL STABILITY TEST ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20
4.1.2.3.1. GENERAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20
4.1.2.3.2. APPARATUS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20
4.1.2.3.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20
4.1.2.3.4. RESULT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22
4.1.2.4. FLASH AND FIRE POINT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
4.1.2.4.1. GENERAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 23
4.1.2.4.2. APPARATUS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
4.1.2.4.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
4.1.2.4.4. RESULT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24
4.1.2.5. SPECIFIC GRAVITY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24
4.1.2.5.1. GENERAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 24
4.1.2.5.2. APPARATUS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24
4.1.2.5.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25
4.1.2.5.4. TABLE OF WEIGHT MEASURE -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27
4.1.2.5.5. CALCULATION----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27
4.1.2.5.6. RESULT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27
SCOPE OF FUTURE WORK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
LIMITATION OF WORK ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
CONCLUSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29
REFERENCE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

vii
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.......................................................................................................................................................5
Table 2.....................................................................................................................................................16
Table 3.....................................................................................................................................................19
Table 4.....................................................................................................................................................22
Table 5.....................................................................................................................................................24
Table 6.....................................................................................................................................................27
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Waste plastic cutting by grinder 2

Figure 2: Heating plastic pieces 3
Figure 3: Aggregate 6
Figure 4: Sand as filler 6
Figure 5: Bitumen container 8
Figure 6: Penetrometer 11
Figure 7: Grinder (used to cut the plastic) 13
Figure 8: Plastic pieces 13
Figure 9: Heating of plastic 14
Figure 10: Heating of bitumen 14
Figure 11: Mould contain bitumen 15
Figure 12: Testing of sample in penetrometer 15
Figure 13: Ring ball appartus 17
Figure 14: Testing on ring ball apparatus for softening point 18
Figure 15: Ring ball apparatus 19
Figure 16: Mould filled by bituminous concrete 20
Figure 17: Marshall Stability apparatus arrangement 21
Figure 18: Marshall Stability machine 21
Figure 19: Flash and fire point apparatus arrangement 23
Figure 20: Pycnometer 25
Figure 21: Prepare sample for the specific gravity test of bitumen 26
Figure 22: Weight the filled pycnometer 26

ix
 CHAPTER 1

1.1. INTRODUCTION

1.1.1 GENERAL
Bitumen is a material used in construction of flexible Pavement. Bitumen is mix with
aggregate and filler to make bituminous concrete. In the flexible pavement construction a layer
of bituminous concrete is laid over the base layer made of stone. Base layer is rest on sub
grade layer which is made of soil.

Types of pavement:
i. Flexible pavement- surface layer of pavement is of bituminous concrete. Total
pavement structure can bend or deflect due to traffic load.
ii. Rigid pavement- surface course of pavement is PCC so called rigid pavement. Such
pavements are much stiffer than the flexible pavements due to high modulus of
elasticity of plain cement material.

1.2. MIX DESIGN

1.2.1. OVERVIEW
Construction of highway involves a huge outlay of investment. An accurate engineering
design can save considerable investment; as well, a reliable performance of the highway, can
be achieved.

1.2.2. OBJECTIVE OF MIX DESIGN

The bituminous mix design aims to estimate the proportions of bitumen, filler material, fine
aggregates, coarse aggregates & polythene to produce a mix which should have
1. Sufficient workability so that there is no segregation under load
2. Enough strength to survive heavy wheel loads & tyre pressures.
3. Sufficient durability
4. Should be economical

TYPE OF MIX
1. Hot mix asphalt concrete
2. Warm mix asphalt concrete
3. Cold mix asphalt concrete
4. Cut-back asphalt concrete
5. Mastic asphalt concrete or sheet asphalt

1
1.2. POLYMER MODIFICATION OF BASE COARSE

1.2.1. NEED OF HOUR

The steady increase of wheel loads, tyre pressure, change in climatic conditions & daily wear
and tear severely affect the performance of bituminous mix pavements. Hence any
improvement in the property of the pavement is highly essential considering the present
scenario.

1.2.2. WASTE PLASTIC IS A CONCERN

Plastics are durable & non-biodegradable; the chemical bonds make plastic very durable &
resistant to normal natural processes of degradation. Since 1950s, around 1 billion tons of
plastic have been discarded, and they may persist for hundreds or even, thousands of years.
The plastic get mixed with water, doesn’t disintegrate, and takes the form of small pallets
which causes the death of fishes and many other aquatic animals who mistake them as food
materials.
Today the availability of the plastic wastes is enormous, as the plastic materials have become
the part, of our daily life. They get either mixed with the Municipal Solid Waste or thrown
over a land area. If they are not recycled, their present disposal may be by land filling or it
may be by incineration. Both the processes have significant impacts on the environment. If
they are incinerated, they pollute the air and if they are dumped into some place, they cause
soil & water pollution. Under these circumstances, an alternate use for these plastic wastes is
required.

Figure 1: Waste plastic cutting by grinder

2
1.2.3. ROLE OF PLASTIC OR POLYMER IN PAVEMENT
Modification of BC, with the synthetic polymer binder can be considered as a solution to
overcome the problems, arising because of the rapid increase in wheel loads and change in
climatic conditions. Polymer modification can be considered as one of the solution to
improvise the fatigue life, reduce the rutting & thermal cracking in the pavement. Asphalt,
when blended or mixed with the polymer, forms a multiphase system, containing abundant
asphaltenes which are not absorbed by the polymer. This increases the viscosity of the mix by
the formation of a more internal complex structure.

Figure 2: Heating plastic pieces

3
 Chapter 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

FHWA, User guidelines for waste and by-product materials in pavement construction;
1997-The concept of utilization of waste plastic in construction of flexible road pavement has
been done since 2000 in India. In the construction of flexible pavements, bitumen plays the
role of binding the aggregate together by coating over the aggregate. It also helps to improve
the strength and life of road pavement. But its resistance towards water is poor. A common
method to improve the quality of bitumen is by modifying the rheological properties of
bitumen by blending with synthetic polymers like rubber and plastics. Use of plastic waste in
the bitumen is similar to polymer modified bitumen. The blending of recycled LDPE to
asphalt mixtures required no modification to existing plant facilities or technology.
Dr.Y. P. Gupta, Shailendra Tiwari & J. K. Pandey, “Utilization of Plastic Waste in
Construction of Bituminous Roads”, NBM & CW MARCH 2010, p.92- Polymer modified
bitumen has better resistance to temperature, water etc. This modified bitumen is one of the
important construction materials for flexible Road pavement.
L.R Schroceder, “The Use of Recycled Materials in Highway construction’, Public
Roads, Vol. 58(Issue 2), 1994. Sunil Bose, Sridhar Raju, “Utilization of waste plastic in
Bituminous Concrete mixes”, Roads and Pavements, 2004 Since 90’s, considerable
research has been carried out to determine the suitability of plastic waste modifier construction
of bituminous mix.

4
Chapter 3

2. MATERIAL

3.1. BASIC MATERIALS

The material used to conduct tests to determine properties of modified bitumen are

i. Aggregates
ii. Filler
iii. Plastic Wastes
iv. Bitumen

3.1.1. AGGREGATE
Aggregate constitutes the granular part in bituminous concrete mixtures which contributes up
to 90-95 % of the mixture weight and contributes to most of the load bearing & strength
characteristics of the mixture. Hence, the quality and physical properties of the aggregates
should be controlled to ensure a good pavement. The properties that aggregates should have to
be used in pavement are shown below
1) Aggregates should have minimal plasticity. The presence of clay fines in bituminous mix
can result in problems like swelling and adhesion of bitumen to the rock which may cause
stripping problems. Clay lumps and friable particles should be limited to utmost 1%.
2) Durability or resistance to weathering should be measured by sulphate soundness testing.
3) The ratio of dust to asphalt cement, by mass should be a maximum of 1.2 & a minimum of
0.6.
Aggregate are classified as
a. Coarse aggregate
b. Fine aggregate.

Difference between coarse and fine aggregate describe by aggregate size:

Table 1: Difference between coarse and fine aggregate

Aggregate I.S. Sieve size

Coarse 80 mm - 4.75 mm
Fine Passing by 4.75 mm

5
 Figure 3: Aggregate

3.1.2. FILLER
Mineral filler consists of, very fine, inert mineral matter that is added to the hot mix asphalt, to
increase the density and enhance strength of the mixture. The filler may be cement, fly ash or
sand.

Figure 4: Sand as filler

3.1.3. BITUMEN
Asphalt binder 60/70 and 80/100 are used in this research. The bitumen used should have the
following properties.
a) Grade of bitumen used in the pavements should be selected on the basis of climatic
conditions and their performance in past.
b) It is recommended that the bitumen should be accepted on certification by the supplier
(along with the testing results) and the State project, verification samples. The procedures for
acceptance should provide information, on the physical properties of the bitumen in timely
manner.
c) The physical properties of bitumen used which are very important for pavements are shown
below. Each State should obtain this information (by central laboratory or supplier tests) and
should have specification requirements for each property except specific gravity.
6
(a) Penetration at 25°C
(b) Viscosity at 60°C
(c) Viscosity at 130° C
(d) Ductility/Temperature
(e) Specific Gravity
(f) Solubility
(g)Thin Film Oven (TFO)/Rolling TFO; Loss on Heating
(h) Residue Ductility
(i) Residue Viscosity

7
Figure 5: Bitumen container

8
3.1.4. PROPERTIES OF USED MATERIAL

3.1.4.1. AGGREGATES
The aggregates used are retained on 10 mm I.S. sieve.

3.1.4.2. BITUMEN
Bitumen used for testing is 80/100 penetration grade
Specific gravity of bitumen = 1.02

3.1.4.3. FILLER
Filler material sand is used.
Specific gravity of sand= 2.6

3.1.5. PLASTIC
Thermoplastic is used to make sample due to its property of remolding on heating. The cold
drink bottle, drinking water bottle, food packets and polythene used for packing are used to
make the sample.
These plastic and polythene are collected, then washed and dried for 1-2 hours.

3.1.5.1. SHREDDING
The dried plastic bottles and polythene cut into small pieces of 20mm to 30mm. as small as
pieces are the plastic is easy to melt.

9
 CHAPTER 4

4.1. EXPERIMENTAL MEDHOLOGY

4.1.1. GENERAL
Laboratory work is include mainly two process
a. Preparation of sample
b. Testing

4.1.2. TESTS CONDUCTED

There are five tests of bitumen are conducted. Details of tests are given below:

1. Penetration test
2. Softening point test
3. Marshall Stability test
4. Flash and fire point test
5. Specific gravity test

4.1.2.1. PENETRATION TEST

The penetration of a bituminous material is the distance in tenths of a millimeter that a
standard needle will penetrate vertically into a sample of the material under standard
conditions of temperature, load and time.

4.1.2.1.1. APPARATUS
4.1.2.1.1.1. CONTAINER- mould having following dimensions used:

For penetrations below 225:

Diameter, mm 55
Internal depth, mm 35
For penetrations between 225 and 350:
Diameter, mm 70
Internal depth, mm 45

4.1.2.1.1.2. WATER BATH - Water bath preferably with a thermostat maintained at

25±0.1 containing not less than 10 liters of water. the sample being immersed to a depth of not
less than 100 mm from the top and supported on a perforated shelf not less than 50 mm from
the bottom of the bath.

4.1.2.1.1.3. PENETRATION APPARATUS- Any apparatus which will allow the needle

10
to penetrate without appreciable friction, and which is accurately calibrated to yield results in
tenths of millimeter shall be adopted.

Figure 6: Penetrometer

4.1.2.1.1.4. THERMOMETER-
0 to 110°C range of thermometer is used to measure the temperature.
4.1.2.1.1.5. TIME DEVICE-
Stop watch is used to measure time peirod in seconds.

4.1.2.1.2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE-

1. Collect the plastic waste of 5kg.
2. Wash the plastic and dry it for 2-3 hours in sunlight.
3. Cut dry plastic in small pieces of 20- 30mm (figure 3), this process is called
shredding.

11
4. Fill the plastic pieces in the container to heat.
5. Heat the plastic pieces at the temperature of 180 -200°C (figure 4).
6. Heat the bitumen at 160- 190°C (figure 5).
7. Mix the hot bitumen and hot melt plastic in the ratio of 1:2 respectivily to make the
modified bitumen.
8. Fill the the hot modified bitumen in the mould(figure 6).
9. Put the mould into the water bath for 1 hour.
10. Take out the mould from the water bath.
11. Put the mould beneath the neddle of penetrometer (figure 7).
12. Dip the needle for 5 second in the bitumen.
13. Note down the reading shown on the penetrometer.
14. Repeat the process for 3 times.

12
Figure 7: Grinder (used to cut the plastic)

Figure 8: Plastic pieces

13
 Figure 9: Heating of plastic

Figure 10: Heating of bitumen

14
 Figure 11: Mould contain bitumen

Figure 12: Testing of sample in penetrometer

15
4.1.2.1.3. RESULT
Table 2: Penetration test

Plain bitumen(mm) Modifed bitumen(mm)

30 14

35 18

38 21

16
4.1.2.2. SOFTENING POINT TEST

4.1.2.2.1. GENERAL
The temperature at which the substace attains a particular degree of softning under specified
condition of test.

4.1.2.2.2. APPARATUS
4.1.2.2.2.1. RING AND BALL APPARTAUS- A convenient form of apparatus is
illustrated in figure .
4.1.2.2.2.2. STEEL BALLS- two; each 9.5mm in diameter and weighing 3.50±0.05 g.

Figure 13: Ring ball appartus

17
4.1.2.2.2.3. THERMOMETER- mercury in glass type having highest temperature at
110°C and graduation is ±0.2°C.

4.1.2.2.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1. Heat the material to a temperature between 75°C to 100°C above its softening
point.
2. Stir until it is completely fluid and free from air bubbles and water, and filter.
3. Place the rings, previously heated to a temperature approximating to that of the
molten material, on a metal plate which has been coated with a mixture of equal
parts of glycerin and dextrin, and fill with sufficient melt to give an excess above
the level of the ring when cooled.
4. After cooling for 30 minutes in air, level the material in the ring by removing the
excess with a warmed, sharp knife.
5. Increase the temperature until the ball falls down .
6. Note the temperature at that moment.

Figure 14: Testing on ring ball apparatus for softening point

18
 Figure 15: Ring ball apparatus

4.1.2.2.4. RESULT
Table 3: softening point

PLAIN BITUMEN MODIFIED BITUMEN

(°C) (°C)
82 91

19
4.1.2.3. MARSHALL STABILITY TEST

4.1.2.3.1. GENERAL
Marshall Stability test is conduct to determine the compressive strength of mix material.

4.1.2.3.2. APPARATUS
I. Marshall Stability Machine
II. Mould

4.1.2.3.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1. Heat the modified bitumen and bitumen at 150-190°C.
2. Heat the aggregate and sand at 130 -140°C.
3. Prepare two sample-
I. Aggregate +sand +bitumen
II. Aggregate+ sand +modified bitumen
4. Fill these samples in mould and put it at room temperature for 24 hours as show in
figure 15.

Figure 16: Mould filled by bituminous concrete

5. Put it in Marshall Stability apparatus.

20
 Figure 17: Marshall Stability apparatus arrangement

6. Load the sample and note the load at which sample comes cracking.

Figure 18: Marshall Stability machine

21
4.1.2.3.4. RESULT
Table 4: Marshall Stability test

Stability of bitumen
Bitumen Dia. Of
Wt. of mix
S.no. content specimen Plain bitumen Modified
(mg)
(%) (mm) bitumen

1 10 1200 100 13.8 18.36

22
4.1.2.4. FLASH AND FIRE POINT

4.1.2.4.1. GENERAL
Flash Point - The flash point of a material is the lowest temperature at which the application
of test flame causes the vapor from the material shortly catches fire in the form of a flash
under specified conditions of test.

Fire Point - The fire point is the lowest temperature at which the application of test flame
causes the material to ignite and burn at least for 5 second under specified conditions of test.

4.1.2.4.2. APPARATUS
I. Heater
II. Thermometer
III. Handle pan

4.1.2.4.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1. Heat the modify bitumen and plain bitumen.
2. Fill it in the pan.
3. Put it over the heater.
4. Note the temperature at which the first flash comes over and also note the temperature
at which the sample gets fire.

Figure 19: Flash and fire point apparatus arrangement

23
4.1.2.4.4. RESULT
Table 5: flash and fire point test

Plain Bitumen Modified Bitumen

Flash Point Fire Point Flash Point Fire Point

(°C) (°C) (°C) (°C)

256 270 262 277

4.1.2.5. SPECIFIC GRAVITY

4.1.2.5.1. GENERAL
The ratio of mass of a given volume of the substance to the mass an equal volume of water,
the temperature of both being specified.

4.1.2.5.2. APPARATUS
I. Pycnometer
II. Heater

24
 Figure 20: Pycnometer

4.1.2.5.3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1. Heat the bitumen at 150-190°.
2. Weight the empty pycnometer W1.
3. Fill the pycnometer with the water up to the neck level of pycnometer and weight W 2.
4. Fill the pycnometer with 200 ml of bitumen and weight W 3.
5. Fill the rest of pycnometer with watter and weight W4.

25
Figure 21: Prepare sample for the specific gravity test of bitumen

Figure 22: Weight the filled pycnometer

26
4.1.2.5.4. TABLE OF WEIGHT MEASURE
Table 6

Weight (w) Plain bitumen Modified bitumen

(g) (g)
Empty pycnometer (w1) 578 578

Pycnometer +bitumen/modified 1006 1022

bitumen(w2)
Pycnometer +bitumen/modified bitumen 1485 1930
+water(w3)
Pycnometer +water(w4) 1484 1484

4.1.2.5.5. CALCULATION

𝐺=( )( )

For plain bitumen –

1006 − 578
𝐺=
(1006 − 578)(1485 − 1484)

G=1
For modified bitumen-

G
( )( )

G=0.5
4.1.2.5.6. RESULT
The specific gravity of bitumen (G) = 1

The specific gravity of modified bitumen (G) = 0.5

27
 SCOPE OF FUTURE WORK

The plastic is found to be good alternative to the bitumen. If the good quality plastic like low
density plastic is use in bitumen, it can increase its required properties. The testing on plastic
mixed bitumen in different ratio can give better result. If the study is continuing in future, it
can be replace all bituminous roads with plastic roads. If the modified bitumen use in
constructing roads, all plastic of the world can be use effectively. The plastic is no need to
recycle, it can directly use in roads construction.

LIMITATION OF WORK

1. The material consist of only low density polyethylene (LDPE) or high density
polyethylene (HOPE), PU (available in limited quantity as waste) and PET.
2. Black coloured plastic waste is a result of repeated recycling and is not be used.
3. PVC is not be used since they release lethal levels of dioxines.
4. The Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) of thermoplastics has revealed gas evolution
and thermal degradation may occur beyond 180°C. Thus misuse or wrong
implementation of this technology result in release of harmful gases, premature
degradation. To avoid this the temperature is maintained during construction.

28
 CONCLUSION

From the study of the behavior of polythene modified BC it was found that the modified mix
possesses improved Marshall Characteristics as mentioned below. It is observed that Marshall
Stability value increases with polyethylene content up to 4% and thereafter decreases. We
observe that the Marshall Flow value decreases upon addition of polythene i.e. the resistance
to deformations under heavy wheel loads increases. Considering these factors we can assure
that we can obtain a more stable and durable mix for the pavements by polymer modifications.
This small investigation not only utilizes beneficially, the waste non-degradable plastics but
also provides us an improved pavement with better strength and longer life period.
Polymer modified pavements would be a boon for India’s hot and extremely humid climate,
where temperatures frequently rises past 50°C and torrential rains create havoc, leaving most
of the roads with heavy distresses. This adversely affects the life of the pavements. The
polymer modified bitumen show improved properties for pavement constructions. This also
can reduce the amount of plastics waste which otherwise are considered to be a threat to the
hygiene of the environment. In this modification process, plastics-waste is coated over
aggregate. This increases the surface area of contact at the interface and ensures better
bonding between aggregate and bitumen. The polymer coating also reduces the void spaces
present in the mix. This prevents the moisture absorption and oxidation of bitumen by
entrapped air. The road can withstand heavy traffic and show better service life. This study
will have a positive impact on the environment, as it will reduce the volume of plastic waste to
be disposed off by incineration and land filling. It will not only add value to plastic waste but
will develop a technology, which is eco-friendly.
However, it is recommended that more research regarding the topic should be done and more
trial sections should be laid and their performance should be studied.

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