Influence of epoxy soybean oil modified nano-silica on the compatibility of cold-mixed epoxy asphalt

A novel compatibilizer epoxy soybean oil (ESO)/nano-silica was synthesized, and used to improve the compatibility between the resin (epoxy and curing agent) and asphalt to prepare cold-mixed epoxy asphalt (CMEA). The ESO/nano-silica was characterized by FTIR, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy and DSC. The results indicated that the ESO reacted with nano-silica and Si–O–C bonds formed, revealing that the nano-silica was successfully modified by ESO. Meanwhile, the incorporation of ESO/nano-silica into CMEA could significantly enhance the compatibility between resin and asphalt, and the tensile strength, elongation at break and tensile toughness of CMEA was obviously increased. The compatibility between resin and asphalt was simulated by molecular dynamic simulation. The simulation results showed a good correlation with the experimental results. The solubility parameter could be a feasible indicator to differentiate the compatibility variation. The Van Der Waals contributed the most proportion to the interaction energy.