Mechanical and bonding properties of pristine montmorillonite reinforced epoxy asphalt bond coats.

Epoxy asphalt bond coat (EABC) has been widely used as a bonding layer in the construction of orthotropic steel deck bridges. To withstand the vibration of the steel deck, EABC needs to have strong bonding strength. In present article, sodium montmorillonite (Mt) was used to reinforce the neat EABC. The morphology and properties of EABC/Mt nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Brookfield rotational viscometer, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, automatic adhesion tester, and universal testing machine. No intercalation structure formed in the EABC/Mt nanocomposites. Mt dispersed uniformly in the EABC matrix. The inclusion of Mt increased the viscosity of the neat EABC in the initial stage of chemical reaction. Whereas, in the later curing stage, the viscosity of the neat EABC was higher than those of EABC/Mt nanocomposites. The presence of Mt slightly reduced the glass transition temperature of the neat EABC. The damping performance of the neat EABC was improved with the inclusion of 1 wt% Mt. Mt had a marginal effect on the thermal stability of the neat EABC. The incorporation of Mt significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the neat EABC. The tensile strength and toughness of the neat EABC increased by 30% and 26%, respectively, with the inclusion of 3 wt% Mt. The existence of Mt greatly enhanced adhesion strength of the neat EABC. The lap‐shear adhesion strength and pull‐off adhesion strength of the EABC nanocomposite with 5 wt% Mt were 33% and 29% higher than those of the neat EABC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]