Development of a sustainable slow-release de-icing additive for asphalt pavements using lignin fiber

Abstract

In cold weather, ice on asphalt pavements can lead to slippery surfaces, increasing the risk of vehicle accidents and posing threats to human safety. This study selects lignin fiber (LF) as a carrier to prepare a new de-icing additive. A slow-release de-icing emulsified asphalt fog seal (SDFS) was formulated with this additive and emulsified asphalt. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed that LF effectively adsorbed HCOONa, with the sodium content on the fiber surface increasing from 0.91 % to 5.64 % after adsorption. The experiments demonstrated that SDFS can delay the freezing time of water by approximately 50 % and lower the freezing point of water on the road surface. De-icing experiments showed that after 8 impacts, the de-icing rate of the Marshall specimen coated with SDFS reached 91.52 %, whereas the common Marshall specimen had a de-icing rate of only 38.35 % after the same number of impacts. The abrasion experiments showed that SDFS meets the requirements for road surface applications and retains its de-icing capability even after abrasion. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations were employed in this study to demonstrate that salt ions delay freezing by inhibiting the formation and growth of ice nuclei in the solution. In conclusion, SDFS can effectively prevent icing on asphalt pavements and offers good performance for road use.