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Dynamic X-ray radiography for the determination of foamed bitumen bubble area distribution

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Abstract

Foam bitumen is highly efficient in wetting and coating the surface of mineral aggregate at lower temperature. In order to improve understanding and characterization of the bitumen foam, X-ray radiography was used to study the formation and decay of bitumen foam in 2D representation. Image segmentation analysis was used to determine the foam bubble size distribution. In addition, the main parameters influencing foam bitumen formation, water content, and temperature were also investigated. The results demonstrate the influence of the water content on morphology and expansion of foam bitumen bubbles. Adding more water in the foaming process leads to quick collapse of bubbles and intensifies coalescence of foam bitumen. Higher temperatures produces larger bubbles at early foaming stage compared to lower temperature. Moreover the morphology of bubble formation depends on the types of bitumen used. An exponential function has been implemented to represent the bubble area distribution.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of Andrea Bieder and Anton Demarmels, Ammann Construction Equipment (Ammann Schweiz AG, CH-4901 Langenthal, Switzerland). Group members of the Road Engineering/Sealing Components lab, EMPA (Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology, Switzerland). Finally the Commission for Technology and Innovation CTI, Switzerland and Ammann Schweiz AG, Switzerland are greatly appreciated for financing the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Highway and Railway Engineering, Transport Science, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    Biruk W. Hailesilassie

  2. Laboratory for Electronics/Metrology/Reliability, EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, CH-8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland

    Philipp Schuetz & Iwan Jerjen

  3. Road Engineering/Sealing Components, EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, CH-8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland

    Martin Hugener

  4. KTH Stockholm, Division of Highway and Railway Engineering, Director Road Engineering/Sealing Components, EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, CH-8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland

    Manfred N. Partl

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  1. Biruk W. Hailesilassie
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  2. Philipp Schuetz
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  3. Iwan Jerjen
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  4. Martin Hugener
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  5. Manfred N. Partl
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Correspondence to Biruk W. Hailesilassie.

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Hailesilassie, B.W., Schuetz, P., Jerjen, I. et al. Dynamic X-ray radiography for the determination of foamed bitumen bubble area distribution. J Mater Sci 50, 79–92 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8568-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8568-6

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