Chemical properties of modified bitumen incorporating coconut char

Abstract

Agriculture waste have many advantages such as high specific strength and modulus, low density, renewable nature, biodegradability and absence of health hazards. This advantage is good for construction industry because it can improve the properties of the composites. The coconut fruits contain 40% coconut husk, 30% fiber and 30% dust, consisted of flesh, shell and fiber and chemical composition such as cellulose, lignin, charcoal, acid and potassium. The advantages of coconut shell are strong, rigid and lightweight material, very economical as large amounts are available as agricultural waste material and environmentally friendly. This paper presents the performance of modified binder incorporating coconut char in terms of chemical properties. Fourier Transform Infrared Test (FTIR), Particle Size Analyzer Test (LPSA) and Elemental Analyzer Test (EA) were used to analyze the chemical properties on modified binder. Based on the findings, the increased content of char affects the performance of bitumen significantly, as the bitumen maintains stability and homogenous state even though placed in high temperature condition. The testing result value of FTIR and LPSA are increased with the increased content of coconut char. Based on the results, the modified mixture has the higher chemical components and porosity compared to original bitumen and coconut shell because of the modification.