Study on the Reflective Principle and Long-Term Skid Resistance of a Sustainable Hydrophobic Hot-Melt Marking Paint

Road marking is very important for driving safety and reducing the accident rate as a basic component of highway construction. However, traditional road marking paints are prone to be worn after short-term application and have poor durability and reflective performance. To address these problems, the marking paint was modified using the organic polymer material polytetrafluoroethylene to create a durable hydrophobic hot-melt marking paint. The factors affecting the reflective performance of marking lines are analyzed, and artificial accelerated abrasion tests were carried out to analyze the skid resistance and marking retroreflection coefficient of hydrophobic coatings. Results show that the texture of the glass beads and the quality of the coating plays a major role in the reflective performance of the marking line. The friction coefficient value of the modified marking paint is 4.62% higher than that of the traditional hot-melt marking paint. The retroreflection performance of the marking paint with 4% hydrophobic material is 8.45% higher than the initial value of the retroreflection coefficient of the traditional hot-melt marking paints. This sustainable hydrophobic hot-melt marking paint is safer and more durable than traditional pavement marking paints, which may save follow-up maintenance resources and cost from the sustainable aspect.