Ceramic Roadway Aggregates with Improved Polish- and Wear-Resistance

摘要

Through a cooperative program between the Bureau of Mines, Tuscaloosa Research Center and the Federal Highway Administration, synthetic ceramic aggregates having high wear- and polish-resistance were developed. Three hundred aggregate compositions, incorporating a variety of low-cost 'waste' materials were evaluated over a 30-month period. Aggregates were produced using conventional ceramic processing techniques and fired at temperatures ranging from 900-1,500C. British Wheel and L. A. Abrasion tests were used for initial screening of the aggregates. These data, in addition to raw material costs, availability, and energy requirements, were used to select nine compositions for circular track tests at Maryland DOT and North Carolina Department of Transportation and Highway Safety facilities. Economic evaluations showed that present production costs, based on a 1,000 ton-per-day operation ranged from $10 to $120 per ton of material produced. Guyana bauxite was used as a standard and several of the selected compositions developed surpassed the bauxite in performance and were lower in cost.