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Sustainable Polymer Materials for Pavement Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 369

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Interests: sustainable polymeric materials; pavement materials; polymer-modified asphalt; environmentally friendly construction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled "Sustainable Polymer Materials for Pavement Applications", focuses on the latest advancements in sustainable polymer materials for pavement applications, highlighting their crucial role in developing next-generation road infrastructure.

Conventional pavement materials face limitations in durability, environmental impact, and adaptability to changing climate conditions. Sustainable polymer materials offer innovative solutions through enhanced mechanical properties, improved resistance to environmental degradation, and their reduced carbon footprint. Recent breakthroughs in bio-based polymers, recycled polymer composites, and self-healing materials are revolutionizing pavement technology by extending service life, reducing maintenance requirements, and improving overall sustainability.

We particularly welcome contributions that address critical challenges in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, including the multi-scale damage mechanisms and durability of polymer-modified composite pavements, thermoregulation via phase-change polymer composites, interface bonding and thermal compatibility in composite pavement–steel girder systems, and the optimization of polymer-stabilized or polymer-modified asphalt/aggregate structures for long-term performance.

This Special Issue provides a platform for interdisciplinary research bridging material science and civil engineering, offering both fundamental insights and practical solutions for sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Fiber-reinforced polymer systems for pavement reinforcement;
  • Bio-based polymers from renewable resources for pavement application;
  • Recycled polymer composites for asphalt modification;
  • Self-healing polymeric materials for crack repair;
  • Phase-change polymer composites for temperature regulation;
  • Durability and aging performance of polymer-modified pavements;
  • Life cycle assessment of sustainable pavement materials.

Dr. Jiasheng Dai
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable polymers
  • pavement materials
  • polymer-modified asphalt
  • bio-based binders
  • recycled polymers
  • self-healing materials
  • life cycle assessment
  • green construction

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 2651 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Rheological Properties of Warm Mix Flame-Retardant Asphalt (WMFRA) Binder Suitable for Tunnel Area
by Bo Zhang, Juan Liu, Qiaoli Le and Zhen Lu
Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2829; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212829 - 23 Oct 2025
Viewed by 290
Abstract
This study aimed to systematically evaluate the rheological properties of warm mix flame-retardant asphalt (WMFRA). First, conventional performance tests were conducted on the prepared warm mix rubberized asphalt (WMRA), incorporating different warm mix agents in order to screen out an agent with optimum [...] Read more.
This study aimed to systematically evaluate the rheological properties of warm mix flame-retardant asphalt (WMFRA). First, conventional performance tests were conducted on the prepared warm mix rubberized asphalt (WMRA), incorporating different warm mix agents in order to screen out an agent with optimum performance. Subsequently, limestone power (LP), aluminum trihydrate (ATH), OA composed of ATH and organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT), and zinc borate (ZK) were employed in the oxygen index (OI) test of WMFRA to determine the optimal dosage of flame retardants. Finally, a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and a bending beam rheometer (BBR) were used to evaluate the rheological properties of WMFRA. The results showed that the R-Type warm mix agent was superior to S-Type in reducing consistency and improving low-temperature cracking resistance but slightly weakened high-temperature stability. The OA composite flame retardant could enhance the OI from 20.16% to 24% at 15wt% dosage, thereby meeting the specified flame-retardant requirement. Furthermore, OA could markedly boost the high-temperature performance of WMFRA, exhibiting significantly higher complex modulus (G*) and rutting factor (G*/sinδ) compared to WMFRA with other flame retardants. In general, all flame retardants reduced the temperature sensitivity of WMFRA, with ZK being the most effective at 12.6%. Regarding low-temperature performance, LP and ATH improved stress relaxation of WMFRA, while ZK and OA impaired this capability. All flame retardants reduced low-temperature flexibility, but the low-temperature behavior was still dominated by the S(t). For fatigue performance, LP and ATH degraded the fatigue performance by advancing the damage time by 958.9 s and 669.7 s, respectively. In contrast, ZK improved fatigue performance by increasing the complex shear modulus, thereby extending the fatigue life (Nf50) by 3.2%. This study provided a theoretical basis for the formulation optimization of WMFRA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Polymer Materials for Pavement Applications)
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