Use of Lime in Recycling Asphalt

Two Strategic Highway Research Program asphalts were aged in a pressure oxygen vessel (POV) with and without admixture of CaO and Ca(OH)2 at several concentrations. These same asphalts were then aged by low-temperature air blowing, and the resulting materials were softened by mixing with three recycling agents obtained by supercritical extraction of asphalts. These rejuvenated asphalts were mixed with varying amounts of CaO and aged in the POV. Oxidation rates and hardening were measured at various temperatures, and the resulting kinetic parameters were used to estimate hardening at road conditions. The hardening rate was always reduced by lime addition. The oxidation rate was sometimes reduced. The recycling agents alone reduced the hardening rates relative to those of the original asphalts, but the effect was further enhanced by CaO additions.