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The accumulation of snow and ice on the surface of roadways can threaten driving safety, which is a major pain point in winter. To address the issue of pavement icing, this paper researched the biological antifreeze protein (AFP) filler, which was then mixed with a portion of mineral powder to create a blend. This blend was further combined with emulsified asphalt modified by a combination of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and waterborne epoxy resin (WER) to produce a micro-surfacing mixture with active anti-icing capabilities. The road performance tests were conducted to assess whether the anti-icing micro-surfacing mixture's road performance was affected. Subsequently, improved and innovative anti-icing tests were conducted to evaluate the anti-icing performance of the anti-icing micro-surfacing. The anti-icing tests encompassed freezing tests, ice-melting and snow-melting tests, active de-icing simulation tests, and ice adhesion force tests. The road performance tests indicate that the incorporation of antifreeze filler enhances the resistance of the micro-surfacing mixture against water erosion during freeze-thaw cycles, with a minimal impact on rutting resistance and abrasion resistance. The freezing test demonstrates the excellent active antifreeze function of the anti-icing micro-surfacing. Furthermore, the ice-melting and snow-melting test reveals that the anti-icing micro-surfacing effectively speeds up the melting process of snow and ice on the surface of roadways. The active de-icing simulation test and adhesion test confirm that the anti-icing micro-surfacing significantly accelerates the rate of active de-icing. Overall, the anti-icing micro-surfacing demonstrates a significant active anti-icing effect while maintaining its road performance capabilities. • The active anti-icing effect of micro-surfacing mixture is analyzed from the root cause. • The effect of anti-icing fillers blending on anti-icing effect is analyzed by self-designed anti-icing test at micro-surfacing. • The self-developed modified bio-antifreeze protein micro-surfacing combines anti-icing performance and road performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pavement failure is a main type of road damage. To investigate the fracture performance of asphalt mixtures with large aggregates, this study utilized the semi-circular bending test to compare the specimens of LSAM-30 (the large stone asphalt mixture) and AC-13 (the fine aggregate asphalt mixture). The research focuses on examining the effects of specimen thickness, notch length, loading rate, and test temperature on the fracture performance. In the assessment of the experimental outcomes, this study employs fracture energy, J-integral, BCI, and CRI as parameters for comparison. The findings demonstrate that under the same conditions, the large stone asphalt mixture exhibits higher peak load, greater fracture energy, higher BCI and CRI values, as well as better J-integral fracture toughness in comparison to the fine aggregate asphalt mixture. At 20°C, the crack path in the large stone asphalt mixture (LSAM) circumvented the large aggregates and thus presented to be bent and long, while the crack in the fine aggregate asphalt mixture was shorter and straighter. The longer and more curved crack path in the LSAM consumed greater energy, resulting in better fracture resistance. At 0°C, the cracks in both asphalt mixtures were linear, but the large aggregate mixture required a stronger load to damage the larger aggregates. Therefore, the LSAM demonstrates a slightly better fracture resistance at low temperatures. In conclusion, the higher peak load, fracture energy, BCI, and CRI of the LSAM indicate a superior fracture performance. The longer and more curved crack path implies greater energy consumption during the fracture. As a result, the LSAM exhibits better fracture performance and resistance to pavement failure compared with the fine aggregate asphalt mixture. [Display omitted] • The large particle size mixture was tested by semicircular bending test. • The test parameters suitable for large particle size mixtures were determined. • The reasons for the difference of crack resistance of the mixture were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional chlorine-based anti-icing filler poses risks of structural damage and environmental pollution during the removal of frozen pavement, and its long-term effectiveness is not guaranteed. In light of this, a novel environmentally-friendly slow-release biologically active anti-icing filler with a core-membrane structure was designed and prepared in this study. The particle morphology characteristics and composition of the slow-release biologically active anti-icing fillers were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The anti-freezing and the slow-release mechanism of the slow-release biologically active anti-icing fillers were comprehensively discussed. Additionally, a service life model was developed to predict the effective anti-icing cycle and performance. The results demonstrated that the salting-out method effectively coated the antifreeze protein (AFP), maintaining its desirable appearance and achieving an ideal coating effect. After 27, 35, and 44 cycles of immersion freeze-thaw, the anti-icing packing samples with 3%, 6%, and 9% mass reached the failure state respectively. Furthermore, the modeling of the slow-release active anti-icing micro-surface service life indicated that the effective anti-icing life increased with higher dosages of the anti-icing filler. Overall, this study highlights the favorable long-lasting anti-icing effect of the slow-release biologically active anti-icing filler, offering a novel and environmentally-friendly approach to address winter asphalt pavement icing. [Display omitted] • Slow-release biologically active anti-icing fillers were designed and prepared. • The mechanism of slow-release biologically active anti-icing filler was analyzed. • A conversion model for the prediction of effective anti-icing life was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost and thermal stability are critical for the application of low-temperature phase change materials (PCMs) in asphalt pavements. Aliphatic eutectic phase change materials (AEPCMs) are expected to be potential candidates for new low-temperature PCMs. The objective of this study was to develop a set of low-temperature AEPCMs with a phase transition temperature of − 3.58 to 16.21 °C and a latent heat of 144.01 to 195.96 J/g in an attempt to replace tetradecane (TD). To fully evaluate the properties of low-temperature AEPCMs and TD, and the impacts of their direct incorporation into asphalt, the chemical structures, enthalpies, mass retention, economic costs, and changes in the physical and rheological properties of the modified asphalt were investigated. The results showed that AEPCMs with a phase transition temperature similar to that of TD could be obtained by eutectic crystallization and retained the chemical properties of their components. However, the latent heat decreased progressively with the increase in the number of components. The AEPCMs exhibited higher thermal stability than TD, with a maximal increase in mass retention from 37.24% to 86.66% at 180 °C. In addition, AEPCMs exhibited significant cost advantages. The most inexpensive AEPCMs synthesized in the laboratory is only 112.01 ¥/kg and an enthalpy cost of 0.57 ¥/kJ, accounting for 30.1% and 35.8% of TD cost, respectively. Incorporation of AEPCMs and TD increased the lightweight component of asphalt binders and caused damage to the conventional physical and rheological properties of asphalt binders, but polar AEPCMs had fewer deleterious effects on asphalt compared to nonpolar TD. • A set of low-temperature AEPCMs were synthesized to replace tetradecane. • AEPCMs outperform tetradecane in terms of heat stability and material cost. • AEPCMs is polar and enhances asphalt resin, whereas TD is non-polar and increases saturant. • Tetradecane impacts asphalt binder characteristics more than AEPCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]