*Article* **Effects of Tung Oil Composite Regenerating Agent on Rheological Properties and Microstructures of Reclaimed Asphalt Binder**

**Qimin Wang <sup>1</sup> , Qunshan Ye 2,3,\*, Junhui Luo <sup>1</sup> , Cheng Xie <sup>1</sup> , Haobin Liu <sup>1</sup> , Jianhua Liu <sup>3</sup> and Mengnan Qin <sup>3</sup>**


**Abstract:** The single light oil regenerating agent has certain limitations on the performance recovery of aged asphalt. In this study, tung oil, dioctyl phthalate (DOP), C9 petroleum resin, and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) were used to prepare the composite regenerating agent, and its optimal mix proportion was determined by the orthogonal experimental design. The rheological properties and anti-aging performance of reclaimed asphalt were studied by the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and bending beam rheometer (BBR); and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were adopted to explore its microstructure, morphology, and mechanism of action. The results show that with the addition of tung oil composite regenerating agent, the rheological properties of aged asphalt can be effectively recovered, even better than that of base asphalt. By using the complex modulus aging index (CMAI) and phase angle aging index (PMAI) it is found that the anti-aging performance of reclaimed asphalt is better than that of base asphalt. With the optimal content of the tung oil composite regenerating agent, the contents of characteristic functional groups and macromolecular asphaltenes in the aged asphalt can be reduced, indicating that the composite regenerating agent is beneficial to the dispersion and dissolution of polar substances in the aged asphalt. After aging, a large number of wrinkles appear on the surface of the asphalt. However, the addition of the tung oil composite regenerating agent can make the asphalt surface smooth, which indicates that the tung oil composite regenerating agent can restore the microstructure and morphology of aged asphalt to a certain extent.

**Keywords:** tung oil composite regenerating agent; aged asphalt; reclaimed asphalt; rheological properties; microstructure and morphology
