materials

Article
Impact of Graphene Oxide on Zero Shear Viscosity, Fatigue Life
and Low-Temperature Properties of Asphalt Binder
Abbas Mukhtar Adnan 1 , Chaofeng Lü 1,2, *, Xue Luo 1 and Jinchang Wang 1

1 College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road,
Hangzhou 310058, China; abbasmadnan@zju.edu.cn (A.M.A.); xueluo@zju.edu.cn (X.L.);
wjc501@zju.edu.cn (J.W.)
2 Soft Matter Research Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
* Correspondence: lucf@zju.edu.cn; Tel.: +86-571-8820-8473

Abstract: This study has investigated the impact of graphene oxide (GO) in enhancing the perfor-
mance properties of an asphalt binder. The control asphalt binder (60/70 PEN) was blended with
GO in contents of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5%. The permanent deformation behavior of the
modified asphalt binders was evaluated based on the zero shear viscosity (ZSV) parameter through a
steady shear test approach. Superpave fatigue test and the linear amplitude sweep (LAS) method
were used to evaluate the fatigue behavior of the binders. A bending beam rheometer (BBR) test was
conducted to evaluate the low-temperature cracking behavior. Furthermore, the storage stability of
the binders was investigated using a separation test. The results of the ZSV test showed that GO
considerably enhanced the steady shear viscosity and ZSV value, showing a significant contribution
of the GO to the deformation resistance; moreover, GO modification changed the asphalt binder’s
behavior from Newtonian to shear-thinning flow. A notable improvement in fatigue life was observed





 with the addition of GO to the binder based on the LAS test results and Superpave fatigue parameter.
Citation: Adnan, A.M.; Lü, C.; Luo, The BBR test results revealed that compared to the control asphalt, the GO-modified binders showed
X.; Wang, J. Impact of Graphene lower creep stiffness (S) and higher creep rate (m-value), indicating increased cracking resistance at
Oxide on Zero Shear Viscosity, low temperatures. Finally, the GO-modified asphalt binders exhibited good storage stability under
Fatigue Life and Low-Temperature high temperatures.
Properties of Asphalt Binder.
Materials 2021, 14, 3073. https:// Keywords: asphalt binder; graphene oxide; fatigue; zero shear viscosity; LAS test; low-temperature
doi.org/10.3390/ma14113073 cracking

Academic Editor: Christophe Petit

Received: 29 April 2021

1. Introduction
Accepted: 27 May 2021
Published: 4 June 2021
In recent years, increasing traffic loading has led to the exploration of high-performance
asphalt binders. Several studies showed that modification of base asphalt binders enhances
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
their physical and rheological properties, resulting in minimizing common types of dis-
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
tresses, such as fatigue, low-temperature cracking, and rutting deformation, encountered in
published maps and institutional affil- asphalt pavements [1–4]. Recently, nanomaterials, due to their high functional density, high
iations. specific surface area, and strong absorption, have demonstrated a great potential to improve
the properties of the binder, leading to high performance and prolonged service life of the
pavement [5,6]. Previous research indicated enhancement in the performance of asphalt
binder by incorporating numerous kinds of nanomaterials, such as nano-silica, carbon
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.
nanotubes (CNT), and nanoclays, among others [7–13]. Ziari et al. [14] studied the physical
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
and rheological properties of CNT incorporated asphalts. The findings demonstrated
This article is an open access article
that CNT could substantially enhance the asphalt binders’ rutting and fatigue behavior
distributed under the terms and and physical characteristics when applied at a relatively high dosage. Khattak et al. [15]
conditions of the Creative Commons reported a notable improvement in fatigue life and the visco-elastic response of asphalt
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// binder by adding carbon nanofiber (CNF). Shafabakhsh et al. [16] found that employing
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ nano-silica positively affected the base asphalt binder’s high-temperature performance and
4.0/). fatigue life. Filho et al. [17] showed that titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) nanoparticles exhibited

Materials 2021, 14, 3073. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14113073 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials

Materials 2021, 14, 3073 2 of 15

a beneficial impact on the rheological properties, permanent deformation, and fatigue

behavior of base asphalt binder (50/70) through different rheological approaches.
Because of its high specific surface area, layered structure, and excellent dispersion in
aqueous solutions, graphene oxide (GO) has lately been considered a potential additive
that can rapidly adsorb asphalt molecules, thus enhancing the performance characteristics
of the binder and consequently of the asphalt mixture. GO is one of the nano-structured
carbon materials reported to have good compatibility with asphalt due to its various surface
oxygen-containing functional groups [18]. A few recent studies on asphalt modification
using GO have been reported. Wu et al. and Zeng et al. [19,20], for example, investigated the
use of GO as an anti-aging additive in binders. Their findings indicated that incorporating
GO enhanced the binders’ resistance to oxidative and UV aging. Adnan et al. [21,22] found
that the addition of GO improved the asphalt binder’s physical properties and enhanced
the volumetric and strength properties of bituminous mixes.
Rutting is one of the most common types of failures in asphalt pavements, which
is caused by repeated deformation due to high traffic loads and adverse weather condi-
tions. Previous research found that using GO as an asphalt binder modifier improved
the deformation resistance measured by the Superpave rutting parameter (G*/sinδ) and
MSCR approach [18,23–25]. Several studies have shown that for modified binders, the
G*/sinδ parameter is not very effective in evaluating the rutting behavior [26,27]. Zero
shear viscosity (ZSV) is one of the advanced methods for assessing the asphalt binders’
rutting resistance that received significant attention from researchers recently [27–29]. The
viscosity measured in shear deformation at a shear rate close to zero is known as the
zero shear viscosity. ZSV has been identified as an indication of binder stiffness and per-
manent deformation performance under long-term loading [30]. The significance of the
ZSV parameter has been validated through the rutting potential evaluation of bituminous
mixtures [28,31]. The authors found no reported literature on using the ZSV approach
to investigate the rutting behavior of GO incorporated asphalts. Therefore, the current
research has attempted to use the ZSV approach to characterize the rutting deformation
behavior of asphalt binders containing GO.
Another major problem in asphalt pavements is fatigue failure. The Superpave
fatigue parameter (G*sinδ) was employed to investigate the fatigue behavior of asphalt
binders incorporating GO [23]. However, this parameter does not capture actual damage
to asphalt binder since the measurement is performed in the linear viscoelastic range [32].
New methods for fatigue evaluation, such as linear amplitude sweep (LAS), have gained
considerable attention among researchers in recent years. LAS test evaluates the damage
resistance of the binder using cyclic loading with linearly increasing load amplitudes.
This approach applies the concept of viscoelastic continuum damage (VECD). The rate
of damage accumulation shows the binder’s fatigue performance. The method has been
validated by comparing mixture fatigue resistance and field performance [33]. There is
limited research on assessing the fatigue behavior of GO-modified asphalt binders using
effective methods, such as the LAS test. The current study employed the G*sinδ and LAS
test, which was recently developed, to investigate the fatigue resistance of the GO-modified
asphalt binders.
Concerning low-temperature cracking performance, the previous studies came to
contradictory conclusions. Li et al. [23] reported enhancement in the low-temperature
cracking resistance of the asphalt binder by applying GO based on the bending beam
rheometer (BBR) analysis. Contrary to this, Liu et al. [18] concluded that the application
of GO had no noticeable impact on the cracking behavior of the asphalt binders at low
temperatures; in fact, the low-temperature cracking resistance of the binders was slightly
reduced by adding certain GO contents. Hence, additional research in this regard is
required to further understand the low-temperature cracking behavior of an asphalt binder
containing GO.
As previously mentioned, so far, no study has been reported on GO-modified asphalt
binder using ZSV. Likewise, limited research works are reported on the evaluation of
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 3 of 15

fatigue performance of GO-modified binder using the advanced characterization approach.

Although a couple of studies on low-temperature cracking performance are available,
inconsistent outcomes have been reported. This work aimed to evaluate the deformation
potential, fatigue, and low-temperature behavior of GO-modified binders. In this respect,
the primary objectives were as follows:
• To investigate the impact of GO incorporation into the asphalt binder on the ZSV
value through the steady shear test method;
• To investigate the impact of GO incorporation into the asphalt binder on fatigue
performance using the Superpave parameter (G*sinδ) and LAS test approach;
• To evaluate the low-temperature cracking performance of GO-modified asphalt
binders in terms of creep rate (m-value) and creep stiffness (S) using the bending
beam rheometer testing;
• To investigate the impact of GO on the storage stability of asphalt binder using the
separation test.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Materials
The base asphalt binder used in this study was a 60/70 penetration-grade asphalt
binder. GO provided by Suzhou Tandem Graphene Technology CO., Ltd. (Suzhou, China)
was used as an additive material. Table 1 presents the characteristic properties of the base
binder and GO.

Table 1. Characteristic properties of the base binder and GO.

Material Property Value Requirement Method

Base binder Penetration at 25 ◦ C (0.1 mm) 68.5 60–70 ASTM D5 [34]
Softening point (◦ C) 49 49 (Min) ASTM D36 [35]
Viscosity at 135 ◦ C (Pa s) 0.55 <3 Pa s ASTM D4402 [36]
Ductility at 25 ◦ C (cm) 138 100 (Min) ASTM D113 [37]
Rutting factor, G*/sin δ (Pa) at 64 ◦ C 1649.7 >1 kPa ASTM D7175 [38]
GO Purity (%) >95 – –
Layer 1–5 – –
Thickness (nm) 1.0–1.77 – –
Diameter (µm) 10–50 – –
SSA (m2 /g) 300–450 – –

2.2. Sample Preparation

The modified asphalt binders were prepared using a high-shear mixing technique.
First, the unmodified asphalt binder was heated to 160 ◦ C in an oven and placed under
the high-shear mixer at 4000 rpm. Certain amounts of GO (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5%
GO by weight of the asphalt) were then gradually added into the asphalt while stirring for
45 min at 160 ◦ C to obtain a homogenous mass.

2.3. Experimental Methods

2.3.1. Steady Shear Test
The ZSV value of the GO binders was determined using a steady shear test. A DSR
(DHR-2 model) instrument, shown in Figure 1, was used for this test, and the binder sample
used had a diameter of 25 mm with a 1 mm thickness (shown in Figure 1a). Three decades
of shear rates ranging from 0.01 to 10 s−1 were covered at 60 ◦ C while the resulting change
in viscosity was recorded. The ZSV, which serves as an indicator for the binder’s stiffness
and permanent deformation resistance under long-term loading, was determined based
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 4 of 15

on the Carreau model (Equation (1)) [39]. This model has been used to model the asphalt
binder’s rheological (or shear-thinning) behavior [40,41].

η0 − η ∞
η = η∞ +   2  s (1)
1 + γγc

where η is the binder’s viscosity at various shear rates, η0 is the zero shear viscosity, η∞ is
infinite shear viscosity, γc is the critical shear rate (where the shear-thinning begins), and s
is the variable associated with the shear-thinning region’s slope.
This test also helped to understand the Newtonian and shear-thinning behavior of the
binder by incorporating different GO contents.

Figure 1. (a) test sample, (b) sample sandwiched between 25 mm-diameter parallel plates, (c) trimmed
sample before loading, and (d) sample after the test.

2.3.2. Superpave Fatigue Test

G*sinδ was used to evaluate the asphalt binders’ fatigue resistance according to the
SHRP. The SHRP specified a maximum G*sinδ value of 5000 kPa. The test was carried out
on PAV-aged samples because the asphalt binder becomes stiffer due to aging during its
service life and becomes more susceptible to fatigue. The test was conducted using the
DSR under shear loading at a frequency of 10 rad/s and 0.05% strain level. The samples
used for the test had a diameter of 8 mm with a 2 mm thickness (shown in Figure 2). The
complex modulus (G*) and phase angle (δ) were measured at 16 ◦ C, 19 ◦ C, and 22 ◦ C, and
fatigue parameter (G*sinδ) of the modified binders was calculated and compared.
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 5 of 15

Figure 2. Fatigue test sample and set-up.

2.3.3. Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) Test

The LAS test was used to better understand the GO-modified binders’ fatigue behavior.
The test was performed following AASHTO TP 101 [42] using DSR (model DHR-2, TA
instruments, New Castle, DE, USA) on the PAV-aged modified binders at 25 ◦ C and used
8 mm-diameter parallel plates with a 2 mm gap, as shown in Figure 2. First, a frequency
sweep test with frequencies ranging from 0.2 to 30 Hz was applied at a strain level of
0.1% for evaluating the undamaged material. The amplitude sweep test (0.1–30% strain
level) was then performed at a frequency of 10 Hz. The binder samples’ fatigue life was
calculated using the continuum damage approach.
First, the log of storage modulus was plotted against the log of applied frequency to
obtain a straight line from the frequency sweep results. The slope (m) is obtained, and the
parameter α is calculated as the inverse of the m-value. The following equation can then
be applied to calculate the accumulated damage in the sample.

N h iα/(1+α)
D (t) ∼
= ∑ πγ02 (Ci−1 − Ci (ti − ti−1 )1/(1+α) (2)
i =1

where D(t) is the accumulated damage, γo = percent of applied strain (%), and Ci = G*(t)/G*
(initial), t = testing time, sec, and G* = complex modulus.
The following power law can be used to fit the relationship between the integrity
parameter (C(t) ) and damage accumulation:

C(t) = C0 − C1 ( D )C2 (3)

where C0 , C1, and C2 are parameters of the curve-fitting. Equation (4) was further used to
calculate the damage at the point of failure at the peak shear stress.
1/C2
C0 − Cat peak stress

Df = (4)
C1

The binders’ fatigue life (N f ) can be calculated using the following equation:

N f = A × (γmax )− B (5)

where A and B are regression coefficients and γmax is the maximum sample strain (%).
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 6 of 15

The regression parameters can be obtained as follows:

 1+(1−C2 )α
f Df
A= (6)
(1 + (1 − C2 )α) × (πC1 C2 )α

B = 2α (7)
where k = 1 + (1 − C2 ) α and f = loading frequency (10 Hz).

2.3.4. Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR)

BBR test was employed to assess the low-temperature cracking behavior of the asphalt
binder following AASHTO T313-12 [43]. The test’s main outputs are creep stiffness and
creep rate (m-value). These parameters show the ability of an asphalt binder to resist crack-
ing at low temperatures. The test was performed on PAV-aged binders at −6, −12, −18,
and −24 ◦ C. Rectangular binder beam samples with dimensions of 125 × 12.5 × 6.35 mm3
were used for this purpose. The samples were conditioned in an ethanol bath at the re-
quired test temperature for 60 min before testing. Each sample was subjected to a constant
load of 0.98 N for 240 s. The resulting midpoint deflection at loading times of 8, 15, 30, 60,
120, and 240 s was measured and plotted against time. The creep rate (m-values) and creep
stiffness (S) of the asphalt binders at 60 s were calculated and analyzed.

2.3.5. Storage Stability Test

The phase separation test was used to investigate the effect of GO on asphalt binder’s
high-temperature storage stability. The samples were poured into an aluminum tube
140 mm in height and 25 mm in diameter and placed in an oven for 48 h at 163 ◦ C. After
that they were taken out of the oven and refrigerated for 4 h. Finally, the tubes were cut
to give three equal pieces, and a sample was taken from the bottom and top sections of
the tube to perform a softening point test. The differences in softening points between the
top and bottom pieces were determined to assess the modified binders’ resistance to phase
separation.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Zero Shear Viscosity
The impact of varying shear rates on the viscosity of the base and GO-modified
asphalt binders at 60 ◦ C is illustrated in Figure 3. As shown, the unmodified asphalt
demonstrated Newtonian behavior up to the applied shear rate of 9 s−1 . The viscosity
remained constant regardless of the applied shear rate. The incorporation of GO greatly
enhanced the binder’s viscosity at the tested temperature; moreover, the GO binders
exhibited a change in behavior from Newtonian to non-Newtonian (shear-thinning flow)
within a shear rate range of 0.1 to 1 s−1 . The shear rate values at the transition region
for the 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2% and 2.5 GO-modified samples were about 1.69, 1.57, 0.9, 0.51,
and 0.77 s−1 , respectively. This demonstrates that as GO content increased up to 2%, the
Newtonian region decreased, and the shear-thinning response increased. The Newtonian
region slightly increased with a higher GO content (2.5%).
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 7 of 15

Figure 3. Viscosity versus shear rate at 60 ◦ C for different GO-modified binders.

The Carreau model fitted the experimental results very well for GO-modified asphalt
binders, as shown in Figure 4. Table 2 presents the ZSV value and different Carreau model
parameters. The ZSV has been proposed as an essential factor for assessing the rutting
behavior of the asphalt binder. As shown in Table 2, the ZSV value was considerably
enhanced by applying GO. The increase in ZSV could be attributed to the improved
stiffness caused by GO modification [21]. Owing to its surface chemical functionalities
and the high specific area, GO can easily blend with asphalt molecules and form a strong
interfacial bond, therefore enhancing the cohesion and stiffness and positively impacting
the control asphalt’s deformation resistance [18]. The highest ZSV value was indicated with
the 2% GO binder. This shows that the asphalt’s hardness was enhanced by applying GO
to a certain extent. Excess content (or 2.5%) possibly reduces GO material’s homogeneity,
decreasing the entire composite’s stiffness and thus the ZSV of the binder. According to
our previous study of the asphalt binder, the 2% GO had the most significant improvement
in stiffness of all the GO binders [21]. Overall, the rutting deformation resistance of the
control asphalt was enhanced with the incorporation of GO, as indicated by the increase
in the ZSV values. Previous literature reported similar findings for acid-treated fly ash
incorporated asphalt [40] and nano-silica and CNT modified binders [8,41].
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 8 of 15

Figure 4. Carreau model fitted curves for GO-modified binders.

Table 2. Carreau model parameters for GO-modified binders.

Binder Type ZSV, η0 (Pa.s) γc (s−1 ) s Regression Coefficient, R2

Asphalt 70 257.7 9 0.60 0.997
Asphalt 70 + 0.5% GO 1715.6 1.7 0.45 0.993
Asphalt 70 + 1% GO 2194.1 1.58 0.39 0.982
Asphalt 70 + 1.5% GO 3097.4 0.9 0.41 0.994
Asphalt 70 + 2% GO 4984.6 0.52 0.34 0.996
Asphalt 70 + 2.5% GO 3392.2 0.78 0.40 0.980

3.2. Superpave Fatigue Parameter

Figure 5 shows the fatigue performance (G*sinδ values) of the control and GO-
modified binders based on Superpave fatigue test at 16 ◦ C, 19 ◦ C, and 22 ◦ C. A lower
value of G*sinδ implies better fatigue resistance. Compared with the control asphalt, the
GO-modified binders presented lower G*sinδ values (shown in Figure 5). This indicates
that GO can enhance the fatigue resistance of the control asphalt binder (70#). Since the
G*sinδ values were obtained below the binders’ maximum limit of 5000 kPa for PAV-aged
asphalt binders, the GO-modified binders’ fatigue resistance at intermediate temperatures
was found to be adequate. The presence of GO in the binder improved the asphalt’s
stiffness due to the strong bonding between the binder and GO and can effectively retard
the aging process by delaying the heat loss [10]. Based on this outcome under the tested
conditions for fatigue at different temperatures, it can be concluded that by incorporating
GO, fatigue cracks caused by asphalt will not occur in the pavement when subjected to
repeated loads.
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 9 of 15

Figure 5. G*sinδ values of GO-modified binders at 19 ◦ C, 22 ◦ C, and 25 ◦ C.

3.3. Linear Amplitude Sweep Test

Figure 6 shows the A and B parameters for the investigated asphalt binders obtained
from the LAS test and based on VECD analysis. The variation in the material’s integrity
caused by accumulated damage is represented by parameter A. The material’s integrity
should be maintained throughout the cycles, as measured by the loss modulus. A higher
value of the A parameter implies the binder maintains its initial integrity. As shown in
this figure, the GO-modified binders’ A parameter values were higher than those of the
control asphalt binder. On the other hand, the B parameter is related to the asphalt binder’s
sensitivity to an increase in the level of deformation. It is associated with the slope of the
straight line of frequency vs. storage modulus. As shown in Figure 6, the unmodified
asphalt binder showed the highest B parameter value compared to the modified samples.
A decreasing trend in the B value was observed with increased GO content.
The fatigue life of GO incorporated asphalts at 2.5% and 5% strain levels are depicted
in Figure 7. The addition of GO improved the asphalt binder’s fatigue life (Nf ) significantly.
The 2% GO-modified binder demonstrated a higher number of failure cycles compared to
other modified samples, while the control sample exhibited the lowest fatigue life at both
strain levels. The improvement in fatigue resistance can be attributed to the large surface
area of GO, leading to strong bonding between the GO and binder, therefore preventing
the growth of micro-cracks and, subsequently, enhancing the asphalt’s fatigue resistance;
also, the softening effect of GO on asphalt due to a slight amount of CO2 could contribute
to the enhancement. The addition of 2.5% GO resulted in agglomerates of GO in the matrix.
Thus, leading to a low softening effect in the binder and decreasing the fatigue life. Based
on this result, it can be concluded that incorporating GO in the asphalt binder can improve
its fatigue resistance. A similar finding has been reported by Singh et al. [24].
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 10 of 15

Figure 6. The A and B parameters of binders from linear amplitude sweep tests.

Figure 7. The fatigue life of GO-modified binders from the LAS test at strain levels of 2.5% and 5%.

3.4. BBR Test

To evaluate the GO-modified asphalt binders’ low-temperature performance, a BBR
test was performed at temperatures of −24, −18, −12, and −6 ◦ C. The creep stiffness (S)
and creep rate (m-value) were obtained, which are the criteria used for assessing asphalt’s
low-temperature cracking resistance. A lower S-value and a higher m-value would indicate
improved anti-cracking performance at low-temperature. Figure 8 shows the BBR test
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 11 of 15

results of the modified binders. The dependency of the asphalt’s low-temperature prop-
erties on the testing temperature can be seen in these figures. As shown in Figure 8a, the
S-value of the control binder was lower than that of the GO-modified binders regardless
of the test temperature. This indicates that the low-temperature flexibility of the asphalt
was enhanced by incorporating GO. The trend decreased until 2% GO and increased at
2.5% GO. Meanwhile, as shown in Figure 8b, increasing trends in m-value were observed
with increased GO content up to 2% and then slightly reduced at 2.5% GO. This could
be attributed to the decrease in the softening effect of GO as a result of agglomerates of
GO in the matrix by adding 2.5% [23]. The finding suggested that the addition of GO will
help in enhancing the ability of the binder to relax stresses. AASHTO M 320 specified a
maximum S-value of 300 MPa and a minimum m-value of 0.300. At −12 ◦ C and −6 ◦ C, all
the asphalt binders satisfied the criteria mentioned above. While at −18 ◦ C, corresponding
to the actual field temperature of −28 ◦ C, the binders modified with 0% (control), 0.5%,
and 1% GO did not meet the stiffness and m-value requirements.
Based on these results, it can be deduced that GO reduced the cracking potential of the
asphalt binder and has a beneficial impact on resistance to cracking. A similar enhancement
in low-temperature cracking performance with the incorporation of GO was observed by
Li et al. [23].

Figure 8. Cont.
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 12 of 15

Figure 8. BBR test results: (a) creep stiffness (S) and (b) creep rate (m-value) of GO-modified binders
at different temperatures.

3.5. Storage Stability

The storage stability test determines whether modified binders have an appropriate
level of phase separation resistance when stored at high temperatures. It is required that a
modified binder must have a softening point difference (SPD) of less than 2.2 ◦ C in order
to perform satisfactorily. Table 3 shows the SPD values of the GO-modified asphalt binders.
As seen, the SPD values of the modified binders are within the acceptable limit (<2.2 ◦ C).
This shows that although stored at high temperature, the mix of GO and binder were very
well dispersed and remain in a homogenous and stable condition; therefore, incorporating
GO up to 2.5% in the control binder (asphalt 70) may not result in phase separation during
high-temperature storage. The uniform dispersion GO in the binder could be attributed to
the GO’s large surface area and surface chemical functionalities (like carboxylic, hydroxyl,
carbonyl, and epoxy), making it easy to blend with asphalt molecules and form interfacial
forces.

Table 3. Storage stability (separation test results) of GO-modified binders.

Softening Point Top Softening Point Bottom

Binder Type Softening Point (◦ C) SPD (◦ C)
(◦ C) (◦ C)
Asphalt 70 + 0.5% GO 49.4 50.8 50.4 0.4
Asphalt 70 + 1% GO 50.1 51.9 51.6 0.3
Asphalt 70 + 1.5% GO 51.9 53.0 52.8 0.2
Asphalt 70 + 2% GO 53.0 54.4 54.6 0.2
Asphalt 70 + 2.5% GO 51.4 52.9 52.6 0.3
Materials 2021, 14, 3073 13 of 15

4. Conclusions
This work examined the impact of GO on asphalt binder properties. The deformation
behavior of GO incorporated binders was explored by employing the ZSV approach. The
fatigue life was characterized using the Superpave fatigue factor and linear amplitude test.
Low-temperature cracking resistance was investigated by the method of BBR. In addition to
the rheological characterization, a phase separation test was conducted to assess the binders’
storage stability. Based on the findings of this investigation, the following conclusions can
be drawn:
• GO modification increased the steady shear viscosity and the shear-thinning behavior
and reduced the Newtonian plateau zone of the asphalt binder. Moreover, the ZSV
values of the GO-modified binders were higher than that of the control asphalt binder,
indicating that GO can increase the resistance of the asphalt to rutting deformation.
• The significant improvement in Superpave fatigue parameter (G*sinδ) and LAS fatigue
life (Nf ) revealed that adding GO into the asphalt binder can enhance the fatigue
performance.
• The results of the BBR test showed that the incorporation of GO increased the relax-
ation parameter (m-value) and decreased the creep stiffness, indicating a significant
contribution to thermal cracking resistance at low temperatures.
• The results suggested that 2% GO was the optimal content for improving the binder
performance.
• Storage stability analysis revealed that GO-modified binders would resist phase
separation when stored at high-temperature.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, A.M.A. and C.L.; methodology, A.M.A.; software, A.M.A.;
validation, A.M.A. and C.L.; formal analysis, A.M.A.; investigation, A.M.A.; resources, X.L., J.W.; data
curation, A.M.A.; writing—original draft preparation, A.M.A.; writing—review and editing, C.L.,
X.L., J.W.; visualization, A.M.A.; supervision, C.L., X.L., J.W.; project administration, C.L.; funding
acquisition, C.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant
number 11925206.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Did not report any data.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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