Effect of Surface Energy Calculation Method to Identify Moisture Susceptibility of Materials for Asphalt Mixture

Surface energy plays a key role in asphalt aggregate adhesion and moisture susceptibility. This study evaluates three determination strategies for estimating asphalt surface energy from contact angle measurements, with emphasis on their consistency with asphalt chemical composition and mixture mechanical properties. The results show that the modified restrict strategy where the Lifshitz–van der Waals component is determined first and the acid base components are subsequently constrained provides the most reliable surface energy estimates. A probe liquid set consisting of water, glycerol, formamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide is identified as offering an effective balance between numerical stability and experimental practicality. Compared with previous approaches, the proposed determination process improves the correlation between bonding energy and mechanical performance, demonstrating its suitability for surface energy-based evaluation of moisture susceptibility in asphalt mixtures.