Induction heating and performance evaluation of steel wool/brucite fiber modified asphalt mixture

The application of brucite fiber in asphalt mixtures utilizes solid waste, protects the environment, and improves the road performance of asphalt mixtures. This paper introduces the addition of brucite fiber to prepare a steel wool fiber/brucite fiber composite granule (CG), aiming to enhance the pavement performance of the steel wool fiber asphalt mixture. Moreover, it provides benefits in terms of new functions, such as self-healing and deicing. Based on the evaluation of the properties of the four types of fibers (brucite fiber, basalt fiber, polyester fiber, and steel wool fiber), the high-temperature stability, low-temperature crack resistance, moisture susceptibility, and the deicing property of fiber-reinforced asphalt mixture (FRAM) and the steel wool fiber/brucite fiber composite granule-reinforced asphalt mixture (CGAM) were examined. A variance analysis (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the significance of the primary factors related to FRAM. It was found that incorporating brucite fiber and steel wool fiber has a favorable effect on the pavement performance of the asphalt mixture. When the content of CG is 0.6% by weight of the asphalt mixture and the volume ratio between brucite fiber and steel wool fiber is 4:6, the CGAM shows the best performance. Specifically, the Dynamic stability (DS), Maximum flexural strain (MFS), and Tensile strength ratios (TSR) of CGAM were increased by 17%, 49%, and 15.3%, respectively, compared with the conventional asphalt mixture. The volume ratio between brucite fiber and steel wool fiber has a significant impact on the pavement performance of the asphalt mixture. Additionally, slope angle significantly impacts the efficiency of induction heating for de-icing. The de-icing time on a 25° slope was reduced by 43.9% compared to a 0° slope, demonstrating how environmental geometric conditions influence the performance of functional asphalt materials. In summary, adding CG benefits the road performance of the asphalt mixture and provides a new way of sustainable development.