Advanced Chemical and Rheological Engineering of High-Performance and Sustainable Waterproofing Membranes Incorporating RAR and Bio-Based Oils

Description

Advanced Chemical and Rheological Engineering of High-Performance and Sustainable Waterproofing Membranes Incorporating RAR and Bio-Based Oils

Ines Antunes¹, Cesare Oliviero Rossi², Concetta Bartucca³, Paolino Caputo⁴

¹ R&D Director, Polyglass SpA, Ponte di Piave (TV, Italy), ines.antunes@polyglass.it

² Associate Professor, University of Calabria (CS, Italy), cesare.oliviero@unical.it

³ PhD student, University of Calabria (CS, Italy) concetta.bartucca27@gmail.com

⁴ Researcher, University of Calabria (CS, Italy), paolino.caputo@unical.it

ABSTRACT.

Reacted and Activated Rubber (RAR), originally developed for road pavements, represents a promising opportunity for application in bituminous waterproofing membranes. The formulation of these systems is strongly dependent on both the type of bitumen and the polymer employed; to improve compatibility, plasticizing oils of either synthetic or vegetable origin can be introduced. In a sustainability perspective, bio-oils are the preferred option. In this study, RAR is evaluated not only as a partial substitute for SBS polymer but also as a carrier for incorporating bio-based oils, thereby enhancing system compatibility. Chemical characterization (SARA fractionation and ¹H-NMR) and rheological analyses (DSR, BBR, aging tests) highlight the strong dependency of RAR behavior on the bitumen type and the co-modifying additives. Results demonstrate that the combination of RAR and bio-oils improves dispersion, reduces viscosity, and enhances resilience and flexibility, thus providing a solid scientific basis for the development of high-performance and more sustainable waterproofing membranes.

KEYWORDS: bituminous membranes, Reacted and Activated Rubber, rheological characterization, sustainability.