Living Materials Laboratory:

Project 

Project:

Novel Agar-Based Binder Materials for Use in Flexible Pavement Applications

Current Challenge

Research Goal

The primary objective of this project is to contribute to the advancement of direct alternative materials for petroleum-based for petroleum-based asphalt binders. Highly concentrated mixtures of agar hydrogels (i.e., 10% agar) possess similar viscoelastic and temperature-dependence properties when compared to conventional petroleum-based binders (e.g., bitumen, tar) which may make agar well-suited as an alternative binder for pavement applications.

Sponsor

Colorado Department of Transportation