Waste cooking oil (WCO), in many cases, can rejuvenate aged asphalt and restore its properties. However, the influence of WCO qualities on rejuvenation behaviors of aged asphalt has not been investigated in detail. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effects of WCO viscosity and acid value on the basic, rheological, and chemical properties of a typical rejuvenated asphalt. Penetration, ring and ball (R and B) softening point, and ductility were tested to evaluate the influence of WCO qualities on basic properties of rejuvenated asphalts. Then, the rheological properties of rejuvenated asphalt were characterized based on rotational viscometer (RV), dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) test results. Further, SARA (saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes) fraction analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests were performed to investigate the effects of WCO qualities on asphalt chemical composition. Finally, grey correlation coefficients were calculated and the relationships between WCO qualities and rejuvenated asphalt properties were quantitatively evaluated. The experimental results indicated that WCO qualities influence the rejuvenation behaviors of aged asphalt significantly, and the WCO with higher qualities (low acid value and viscosity, as defined in this research) tends to achieve better rejuvenation effects. Based on the results of grey correlation analyses, the acid value is, relatively, a better indicator than viscosity in predicting the rejuvenation efficiency of WCO. The rejuvenation thresholds of WCO are varied with the categories of properties of rejuvenated asphalts, and WCO with an acid value of 0.4–0.7 mg KOH/g, or a viscosity of 140–540 mm²/s, can meet all of the performance requirements for asphalt rejuvenation used in this research.

Using phase change materials (PCMs) in building envelopes became a reliable method to improve indoor comfort and reduce buildings’ energy consumption. This research developed molecular-bridged expanded graphite (EG)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite PCMs (m-EPs) to conserve energy in buildings. The m-EPs were prepared through a vacuum absorption technique, and a titanate coupling agent was used to build a molecular bridge between EG and PEG. SEM, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), the leakage test, microcalorimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were conducted to characterize the morphology, pore structure, absorbability, and modifying effects of the m-EPs. The phase change temperature, latent heat, thermal stability, and thermal conductivity of the m-EPs were determined by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), TGA, and a thermal constants analyzer. Results showed that the maximum mass ratio of PEG to EG without leakage was 1:7, and a stable connection was established in the m-EPs after modification. Compared with the unmodified EPs, the supercooling degree of the m-EPs reduced by about 3 °C, but the latent heats and initial decomposition temperatures increased by approximately 10% and 20 °C, respectively, which indicated an improvement in the thermal energy storage efficiency. The thermal conductivities of the m-EPs were 10 times higher than those of the pristine PEGs, which ensured a rapid responding to building temperature fluctuations.

The primary objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of replacing steel slag powder (SSP) with limestone filler (LF) with different contents as an inorganic anti-stripping agent on the moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixtures. Two traditional inorganic anti-stripping agents were selected for comparison, namely cement (CE) and slaked lime (SL). Apparent morphology, chemical compositions, and the particle size distribution of the four fillers were firstly studied. LF was replaced by SSP, CE, and SL with different contents, and then mixed with asphalt to prepare asphalt mortars. An 80 °C water immersion test was conducted to investigate the adhesion of asphalt mortar and aggregates, and an image analysis technique was utilized to evaluate the stripping of asphalt from the aggregates. A Marshall stability test and freeze-thaw split test were then conducted to analyze the effect of different fillers on the moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixtures. The results show that SSP contains a large amount of CaO, which indicates that SSP has a certain alkalinity. Compared with LF, SSP has a rougher surface texture and a finer particle size. Image analysis results show that the partially replacement of LF by SSP increases the asphalt coverage rate of aggregates, which means that SSP can improve the adhesion between asphalt mortar and aggregates. However, the excessive addition of SSP will result in a decrease in adhesion. The results of both the Marshall stability test and freeze-thaw split test demonstrate that CE, SL, and SSP can improve the moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixtures compared with the LF group, and that asphalt mixtures containing SSP have better moisture damage resistance than those with CE, but less such resistance than those with SL. With the increase of the amount of SSP replacing LF, the moisture susceptibility of the asphalt mixture decreases gradually. The optimum substitution amount of SSP was 25% of the total volume of fillers in this test.