Dr Denvid Lau's publication on JoVE

The objectives of this study are to investigate the self-healing properties of asphalt and graphene modified asphalt nanocomposites using MD simulations, and to understand the role of graphene in the reinforced self-healing ability of asphalt at the atomistic scale.  The self-healing processes for pure asphalt and graphene-modified asphalt composites are carried out, and the self-healing abilities are calculated and compared at different temperature ranges and rest periods.  By investigating the self-healing capacity of graphene modified asphalt composite, the inner mechanism of graphene contributing to the self-healing abilities of asphalt is unveiled.  The self-healing mechanisms can be employed to develop the advanced self-healing abilities of asphalt modified by graphene, which can further reduce the maintenance cost and contribute to developing the smart and functional asphalt pavements.