Nanotechnology Research Finds Phase Change Materials Can Reduce Pavement Temperatures by 1.5 Degrees Celsius

Researchers from the Beijing University of Technology have made a breakthrough in reducing the impact of high temperatures on asphalt pavement durability. By incorporating phase change materials into asphalt concrete and utilizing phase change heat transfer, the team was able to control the temperature of asphalt pavement, reducing the impact of high temperatures on durability. The study found that adding 2.4% of a composite phase change material to each of the top and middle surface layers kept the temperature of all pavement layers outside of the temperature range in which the asphalt's dynamic stability plunges.

Key Takeaways:

• The research incorporated microencapsulated composite phase change materials, prepared using calcium alginate and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1500, into SMA-13 Marshall specimens for indoor high-temperature tests.
• The test results showed that the temperature of the specimen was reduced by about 1.5 degrees C when the doping amount of the composite phase change material was 2.4% and the oven temperature was 60 degrees C.
• The study used Comsol finite element software to simulate the summer temperature field of the asphalt surface layer and established a three-layer asphalt pavement model to study the effect of phase change materials on the temperature change in the pavement.
• The results showed that adding 2.4% of the composite phase change material to each of the top and middle surface layers kept the temperature of all pavement layers outside of the temperature range in which the asphalt's dynamic stability plunges.
• The research found that phase change energy storage materials can be effective in reducing the impact of high temperatures on asphalt pavement durability.
• Financial support for the research came from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Statistics:

• The temperature of the specimen was reduced by about 1.5 degrees C.
• The doping amount of the composite phase change material used in the study was 2.4%.
• The oven temperature used in the test was 60 degrees C.
• The study found that the temperature range in which the asphalt's dynamic stability plunges was outside of the temperature range achieved by adding 2.4% of the composite phase change material.

Sources:

• Study On the Thermoregulation Mechanism of Temperature Insensitive Asphalt Pavement. Materials, 2025;18(18):4326. Materials can be contacted at: Mdpi, St Alban-Anlage 66, Ch-4052 Basel, Switzerland.
• Meng Guo, Beijing University of Technology, State Key Lab Bridge Engn Safety & Resilience, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China.
• Additional authors for this research include Yongjun Yang, Xiaojun Cheng, Yang Qi, Shanglin Song, Xiaoming Kou, and Fukui Zhang.