Abstract: An asphalt modifier includes bitumen, polyolefin particles, and one or more alkyl terephthalamides. Preparing an asphalt modifier includes combining one or more alkyl terephthalamides, polyolefin particles, and bitumen, and dispersing the polyolefin particles in the bitumen to yield the asphalt modifier. Digesting polyethylene terephthalate includes combining polyethylene terephthalate with an alkylamine or carboxyalkylamine to yield a reaction mixture, and heating the reaction mixture to a temperature between about 20° C. and about 300° C. to yield an alkyl terephthalamide.

Abstract: Digesting poly(ethylene terephthalate) includes combining poly(ethylene terephthalate) with a solvent that includes one or more long chain alcohols to yield a reaction mixture, and heating the reaction mixture to a temperature between about 20° C. and about 300° C. to yield a product including one or more alkyl terephthalates.

Abstract: Preparing hybrid-treated plastic particles from waste plastic includes combining waste plastic particles with bio-oil to yield a mixture, irradiating the mixture with microwave radiation to yield oil-treated plastic particles, and contacting the oil-treated plastic particles with carbon-containing nanoparticles to yield hybrid-treated plastic particles. The hybrid-treated plastic particles have a bio-oil modified surface and a coating comprising carbon-containing nanoparticles on the bio-oil modified surface of the plastic particle. In some examples, a diameter of the plastic particle is in a range between 250 ?m and 750 ?m, and a thickness of the coating is in a range of 1 nm to 20 nm. A modified binder includes an asphalt binder or a concrete binder and a multiplicity of the treated plastic particles. The modified binder typically includes 5 wt % to 25 wt % of the hybrid-treated plastic particles.

Abstract: Preparing a microbially desulfurized crumb rubber includes combining microorganisms capable of breaking crosslinked sulfur bonds, sulfur-containing crumb rubber, and a salt solution to yield a mixture; combining a buffer with the mixture to yield a buffered mixture, thereby adjusting a pH of the mixture; providing oxygen to the buffered mixture; incubating the buffered mixture for a length of time to yield a microbially desulfurized mixture; combining the microbially desulfurized mixture with bitumen to yield a precursor; and heating the precursor to yield the microbially desulfurized crumb rubber. The microbially desulfurized crumb rubber can be combined with bitumen to yield a modified bitumen. The modified bitumen can be combined with asphalt to yield a modified asphalt.

Abstract: A modified bitumen includes bitumen and a bitumen modifier. The bitumen modifier includes composite particles. The composite particles include aluminosilicate nanostructures defining nanopores and micropores and paraffin wax adhered to surfaces of the aluminosilicate nanostructures. Modifying bitumen includes combining bitumen and the bitumen modifier.

Abstract: A composition includes a multiplicity of particles, a modifier, and a material throughout which the multiplicity of particles is distributed. The multiplicity of particles includes silicate. The modifier includes bio-carbon. The modifier at least partially coats each particle of the multiplicity of particles.

Abstract: A bio-modified bitumen includes bitumen including organic compounds, and a bio-oil including phenolic compounds and derived from wood biomass. An organic compound includes a volatile organic compound. A phenolic compound forms hydrogen bonds, covalent bonds, or both with an organic compound in the bitumen. Suitable phenolic compounds include phenol, 2,6-dimethylphenol, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, benzene-1,2-diol, 4-methylbenzene-1,2-diol, 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol, 4-ethenyl-2-methoxyphenol, and 2-methoxy-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)phenol.

Abstract: A modified bitumen includes bitumen and a bitumen modifier. The bitumen modifier includes composite particles. The composite particles include aluminosilicate nanostructures defining nanopores and micropores and paraffin wax adhered to surfaces of the aluminosilicate nanostructures. Modifying bitumen includes combining bitumen and the bitumen modifier.

Abstract: Preparing hybrid-treated plastic particles from waste plastic includes combining waste plastic particles with bio-oil to yield a mixture, irradiating the mixture with microwave radiation to yield oil-treated plastic particles, and contacting the oil-treated plastic particles with carbon-containing nanoparticles to yield hybrid-treated plastic particles. The hybrid-treated plastic particles have a bio-oil modified surface and a coating comprising carbon-containing nanoparticles on the bio-oil modified surface of the plastic particle. In some examples, a diameter of the plastic particle is in a range between 250 ?m and 750 ?m, and a thickness of the coating is in a range of 1 nm to 20 nm. A modified binder includes an asphalt binder or a concrete binder and a multiplicity of the treated plastic particles. The modified binder typically includes 5 wt % to 25 wt % of the hybrid-treated plastic particles.

Abstract: Preparing a microbially desulfurized crumb rubber includes combining microorganisms capable of breaking crosslinked sulfur bonds, sulfur-containing crumb rubber, and a salt solution to yield a mixture; combining a buffer with the mixture to yield a buffered mixture, thereby adjusting a pH of the mixture; providing oxygen to the buffered mixture; incubating the buffered mixture for a length of time to yield a microbially desulfurized mixture; combining the microbially desulfurized mixture with bitumen to yield a precursor; and heating the precursor to yield the microbially desulfurized crumb rubber. The microbially desulfurized crumb rubber can be combined with bitumen to yield a modified bitumen. The modified bitumen can be combined with asphalt to yield a modified asphalt.

Abstract: A modified bitumen composite includes bitumen, a multiplicity of particles comprising silicate, and a modifier comprising one or more organosilanes, one or more bio-oils, or both, wherein the modifier at least partially coats each particle of the multiplicity of particles. Making the modified bitumen composite includes combining bitumen, the multiplicity of particles comprising silicate, and the modifier to form a mixture, and heating the mixture to yield the modified bitumen composite.

Abstract: Treating plastic particles for use in concrete includes combining plastic particles with oil to yield a mixture, heating the mixture to yield a heated mixture, cooling the heated mixture to yield a cooled mixture, and removing excess oil from the cooled mixture to yield oil-treated plastic particles (e.g., oil-treated plastic particles for concrete). In one example, the oil is vegetable oil. The vegetable oil can be soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, rice bran oil, or a combination thereof. The oil can be waste oil (e.g., waste vegetable oil, such as that recovered from restaurants). The plastic particles can be derived from post-consumer plastic, such as recycled plastic. In one example, the post-consumer plastic includes mixed plastics. A concrete composition can include rocks, sand, cement, and the oil-treated plastic particles.

Abstract: Modifying siliceous material includes combining siliceous material and bio-oil to yield a mixture, and polymerizing the bio-oil in the mixture to yield hydrophobic siliceous material, wherein a hydrophobicity of the hydrophobic siliceous material exceeds a hydrophobicity of the siliceous material. The resulting composition includes a multiplicity of hydrophobic particles, wherein each hydrophobic particle comprises a polymeric bio-oil-derived coating on a core comprising siliceous material, and a hydrophobicity of the polymeric bio-oil-derived coating exceeds a hydrophobicity of the corresponding core.

Abstract: A bio-modified asphalt binder includes an asphalt binder and a phenol-rich oil. The phenol-rich oil can be a bio-oil. Examples of suitable sources for the bio-oil include pine bark, walnut shells, peanut shells, coconut husks, birch, and fir. The bio-modified asphalt binder increases durability and decreases long term oxidative damage compared with unmodified asphalt binder. A bio-modified asphalt includes the bio-modified asphalt binder and aggregate material and can be used in building materials such as pavement, roads, and roofing materials.

Abstract: A bitumen composite includes an amine-impregnated zeolite and bitumen. Forming the bitumen composite includes combining bitumen and an amine-impregnated zeolite to yield a mixture, heating the mixture to yield the bitumen composite.

Abstract: Treating plastic particles for use in concrete includes combining plastic particles with oil to yield a mixture, heating the mixture to yield a heated mixture, cooling the heated mixture to yield a cooled mixture, and removing excess oil from the cooled mixture to yield oil-treated plastic particles (e.g., oil-treated plastic particles for concrete). In one example, the oil is vegetable oil. The vegetable oil can be soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, rice bran oil, or a combination thereof. The oil can be waste oil (e.g., waste vegetable oil, such as that recovered from restaurants). The plastic particles can be derived from post-consumer plastic, such as recycled plastic. In one example, the post-consumer plastic includes mixed plastics. A concrete composition can include rocks, sand, cement, and the oil-treated plastic particles.

Abstract: Treating plastic particles for use in concrete includes combining plastic particles with oil to yield a mixture, heating the mixture to yield a heated mixture, cooling the heated mixture to yield a cooled mixture, and removing excess oil from the cooled mixture to yield oil-treated plastic particles (e.g., oil-treated plastic particles for concrete). In one example, the oil is vegetable oil. The vegetable oil can be soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, rice bran oil, or a combination thereof. The oil can be waste oil (e.g., waste vegetable oil, such as that recovered from restaurants). The plastic particles can be derived from post-consumer plastic, such as recycled plastic. In one example, the post-consumer plastic includes mixed plastics. A concrete composition can include rocks, sand, cement, and the oil-treated plastic particles.

Abstract: Forming a modified bitumen includes contacting an oil with bitumen to yield a bitumen matrix comprising the oil, combining sulfur with the bitumen matrix, and reacting the sulfur with the oil to yield the modified bitumen. The modified bitumen composition includes bitumen, a sulfur component, and an oil component. The sulfur component is bonded covalently to the oil component, and the oil component is bonded covalently to the bitumen. An asphalt can include the modified bitumen.

Abstract: Preparing hybrid-treated plastic particles from waste plastic includes combining waste plastic particles with bio-oil to yield a mixture, irradiating the mixture with microwave radiation to yield oil-treated plastic particles, and contacting the oil-treated plastic particles with carbon-containing nanoparticles to yield hybrid-treated plastic particles. The hybrid-treated plastic particles have a bio-oil modified surface and a coating comprising carbon-containing nanoparticles on the bio-oil modified surface of the plastic particle. In some examples, a diameter of the plastic particle is in a range between 250 ?m and 750 ?m, and a thickness of the coating is in a range of 1 nm to 20 nm. A modified binder includes an asphalt binder or a concrete binder and a multiplicity of the treated plastic particles. The modified binder typically includes 5 wt % to 25 wt % of the hybrid-treated plastic particles.

Abstract: Fabricating a wood-plastic composite includes capturing carbon dioxide from air, providing the carbon dioxide to algae, harvesting the algae, liquefying the algae to yield biochar, treating the biochar to yield functionalized carbon, and combining the functionalized carbon, wood flour, and a plastic feedstock to yield the wood-plastic composite. A wood-plastic composite includes mixed waste plastic, wood flour, and functionalized carbon.