Titanium Dioxide for Improved Performance of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Aggregates in Concrete

Mohammad S. Al Ja’fari, Marwh M. Al-Adaileh, Ahmad K. Al-Adayleh, Mazen J. Al-Kheetan, Yazeed S. Jweihan, Amjad H. Albayati, Musab Rabi, Saad S. Alrwashdeh, Yazeed A. Al-Noaimat and Seyed Hamidreza Ghaffar ()
Additional contact information
Mohammad S. Al Ja’fari: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O. Box 7, Mutah, Karak 61710, Jordan
Marwh M. Al-Adaileh: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O. Box 7, Mutah, Karak 61710, Jordan
Ahmad K. Al-Adayleh: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O. Box 7, Mutah, Karak 61710, Jordan
Mazen J. Al-Kheetan: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O. Box 7, Mutah, Karak 61710, Jordan
Yazeed S. Jweihan: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O. Box 7, Mutah, Karak 61710, Jordan
Amjad H. Albayati: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad 10071, Iraq
Musab Rabi: Department of Civil Engineering, Jerash University, P.O. Box 311, Jerash 26150, Jordan
Saad S. Alrwashdeh: Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O. Box 7, Mutah, Karak 61710, Jordan
Yazeed A. Al-Noaimat: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
Seyed Hamidreza Ghaffar: Department of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai P.O. Box 341799, United Arab Emirates

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: This work presents an innovative approach to enhancing the performance of concrete with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates using titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles. Traditional limestone coarse aggregates were partially replaced with 30% and 50% RAP aggregates; a subset of mixtures containing RAP aggregates was treated with TiO 2 nanoparticles. The rheological, mechanical, and long-term properties of concrete, along with changes in its chemical composition following the addition of RAP and TiO 2 , were evaluated. Results revealed that using 30% and 50% RAP in concrete mixtures reduced their compressive strength by 18% and 27%, respectively. However, using TiO 2 in those mixtures enhanced their compressive strength by 8.7% and 6.3%. Moreover, concrete with 50% RAP exhibited an 85% increase in water absorption (the highest among all mixtures) compared to the control. TiO 2 treatment was most beneficial in the 30% RAP mixture, reducing its water absorption by 32.5% compared to its untreated counterpart. Additionally, the 30% RAP mixture treated with TiO 2 showed the highest resistance to sulfates among modified mixtures, as its compressive strength decreased by 10.4% compared to a decrease of 23% in the strength of the untreated 30% RAP mixture. Statistical analysis using single-factor ANOVA showed that integrating RAP aggregates with or without the presence of TiO 2 particles would significantly affect the concrete properties in terms of their population means. The t-test analysis, on the other hand, proved sufficient evidence that the mean values of the 30% RAP mixture treated with TiO 2 would not differ significantly from the control in terms of its slump and water absorption properties. The chemical structure analysis revealed an increase in the Si-O-Si and Si-O functional groups when using TiO 2 in RAP mixtures, suggesting improved hydration activity and accelerated C-S-H formation in the treated RAP mixtures. Moreover, distinct C-H peaks were witnessed in concrete with untreated RAP aggregates, resulting from the aged asphalt coating on the RAP, which weakened the bond between the RAP and the cementitious matrix.

Keywords: sustainability; recycled asphalt pavement; concrete; TiO 2; durability; strength (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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