As traffic volume increases and torrential rain increase due to climate change, the frequency of exposure of road markings to wet conditions and repetitive vehicle loads is increasing. However, the thermoplastic paint for road markings, which is curre...
As traffic volume increases and torrential rain increase due to climate change, the frequency of exposure of road markings to wet conditions and repetitive vehicle loads is increasing. However, the thermoplastic paint for road markings, which is currently commonly used on roads, deteriorates at the interface between the binder and the filler, resulting in a decrease in adhesion under wet conditions and a decrease in visibility. This study proposes a plan to improve the durability of the coating film by applying the pozzolanic reaction mechanism of cement chemistry to the thermoplastic paint and using moisture as a medium rather than a deterioration factor. To this end, a pozzolanic reactive thermoplastic paint was formulated by replacing a part of calcium carbonate with soda-lime waste glass powder and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). The purpose of this study was to fill and reinforce the micropores of the coating film by reacting the infiltrated moisture with activated silica and calcium hydroxide to form a calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) gel. Adhesion strength, bending strength, wheel pass test, and accelerated weather resistance test were performed, and the structural change according to the pozzolanic reaction was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopic analysis. As a result of the experiment, excellent mechanical properties were confirmed in the A3 test specimen containing 10 wt% of pozzolanic material. As a result of measuring the adhesion strength after 8 weeks of water immersion, the result was improved to A3 (1.32 N/㎟) compared to A1 (0.86 N/㎟). As a result of the 4 million cycle wheel pass test after 8 weeks of water immersion, the retroreflection performance was maintained at the level of 389 mcd/m²/lux in the A3 test specimen. As a result of FT-IR analysis, the -OH peak decreased and the Si–O peak changed in intensity during the water immersion process, confirming that the pozzolanic reaction proceeded inside the coating film. Consequently, the C-S-H gel generated by moisture ingress filled the micropores to secure mechanical strength and visibility. The thermoplastic paint using the pozzolanic reaction of this study is considered a technology that can overcome the moisture vulnerability of the existing paint, enhance traffic safety, and reduce maintenance costs in case of adverse weather conditions.