BIOFOAM-AGE: The Influence of Porosity and Surface Chemistry of Carbon-Organic Composites on Asphalt Foaming and Aging Resistance – An Experimental and Theoretical Approach

SONATA 21

Funding Organization: National Science Centre

Leader: Lublin University of Technology

Partner: The Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków

Project title: BIOFOAM-AGE: The Influence of Porosity and Surface Chemistry of Carbon-Organic Composites on Asphalt Foaming and Aging Resistance – An Experimental and Theoretical Approach

Agreement number: UMO-2025/59/D/ST8/01858

Project implementation period: 01.10.2026 – 30.09.2029 r.

Principal Investigator (Lublin University of Technology): dr Szymon Malinowski

Project value: 1 982 410,00 PLN

Funds granted for Lublin University of Technology: 1 713 034,00 PLN

Funds granted for The Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków: 269 376,00 PLN

Abstract: Asphalt mixtures represent the majority of road surfaces in Poland and worldwide. Currently, they are mainly produced using hot-mix technology (HMA), which requires heating aggregate and bitumen to high temperatures, generating significant CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions. In accordance with European climate regulations and emission reduction policies, modern science and the road industry face the challenge of deeply decarbonising the production process of asphalt mixtures. One of the most promising areas is the development of WMA technology involving the bitumen foaming process, enabling the production of pavements with increased durability. In response to these challenges, the project focuses on the design and development of environmentally friendly carbon-organic composites for application in the production of asphalt mixtures. The main hypothesis of the project is that the composites will effectively foam the bitumen binders and simultaneously mitigate its ageing processes, resulting in production of more sustainable and durable road pavements. The basis for the composites will be biochar, which will be chemically modified with amines, silanes and polysaccharides. Both biochar and the resulting carbon-organic composites will be characterized in detail using numerous analytical techniques, i.e. XRF, XRD, SEM, FTIR, XPS, DTA/TG, DSC, laser diffraction and low temperature N2 adsorption/desorption. Then, the carbon-organic composites will be used in the foaming process, where their effectiveness will be assessed using the expansion ratio (ER) and half-life (t1/2) as well as the mechanism of water release from the composite surface using the DSC method. The foamed bitumens will be next investigated for their physicochemical properties, i.e. penetration, softening temperature and viscosity, thermal properties using DSC, and fatigue durability. Furthermore, as part of the project, an innovative experimental setup will be designed to analyse gases emitted into the atmosphere during the of asphalt mixtures production, which will enable quantitative testing of CO2 and other harmful gas emissions. Although the foaming process is crucial in hot technology, it remains poorly understood at the physicochemical level, especially when new modifiers are used. Currently, there is a lack of mechanistic models combining the chemical structure of composites, foaming process parameters and the stability of the bitumen foam formed, which prevents the rational design of additives with predictable properties. The second key aspect of the proposed project is the analysis of the ageing process of bitumen foamed with carbon-organic composites. These investigations will include the analysis of the short- and long-term ageing mechanisms and the impact of environmental factors such as UV radiation, ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) and humidity. As part of the project, a experimental setup for simulation of environmental factors on bitumen properties will be designed and built. Its application will allow detailed assessment interaction mechanism between these factors and bitumen foamed with carbon-organic composites. Neither the literature nor the available laboratory infrastructure currently offer such a solution, which highlights the unique and groundbreaking nature of the research. Simultaneously, the project will involve molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to develop a mechanism for the synthesis of carbon-organic composites, the bitumen foaming process with them and ageing pathways of foamed bitumen. The project has a fundamental research character and focuses on identifying fundamental phenomena and relationships not described in the literature so far. The results will form the basis for new theoretical models describing the mechanisms of foaming and ageing of bitumens foamed with carbon-organic composites. They may also contribute to the development of a new generation of modifiers with reduced susceptibility to ageing processes, which agreed with the global goals of transitioning towards sustainable road technologies and decarbonisation in the production of building materials. The project responds to one of the key challenges of modern science: the development of environmentally friendly materials and technologies that enable emission reductions in asphalt mixtures production without compromising the durability of infrastructure. The results obtained may represent an key step towards more sustainable road construction.

The project is 100% aligned with the research areas of the discipline of Civil Engineering, Geodesy and Transport.