Study on Temperature Control Performance of Thermochromic Asphalt Pavement

Yan Sun

doi:10.6919/ICJE.202603_12(3).0014

Authors

Yan Sun

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6919/ICJE.202603_12(3).0014

Keywords:

Thermochromic Asphalt; Solar Reflectance; Temperature Regulation; Numerical Simulation.

Abstract

Traditional asphalt pavements suffer from excessive heat absorption during summer months, which leads to structural damage and the Urban Heat Island effect. While conventional heat-reflective coatings can mitigate this issue, they often cause glare and result in overcooling during winter. This study develops a smart temperature-regulating asphalt pavement by integrating black thermochromic powder into a customized light-colored binder synthesized from petroleum resin and aromatic oil. The light-colored matrix is designed to overcome the masking effect of traditional black asphalt and enhance the inherent near-infrared reflectance of the material. Optical tests reveal that the thermochromic binder achieves a total solar reflectance of 15.46% at 40°C, representing a 4.38-fold increase compared to conventional 90# asphalt. Indoor solar simulation tests demonstrate that the thermochromic pavement reduces peak surface temperatures by 7.3°C in summer conditions. In winter simulations, the material slows the cooling rate by 34.2% and effectively delays the time to reach the freezing point by 47.7%. Furthermore, finite element method simulations across ten climatic regions in China confirm a cooling range between 4.4 and 7.3°C. The most significant effects are observed in high-radiation regions such as Lhasa with a 7.26°C reduction. The results indicate that the developed thermochromic asphalt provides an efficient and dual-season solution for pavement temperature regulation and urban heat mitigation.

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