{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T21:19:41Z","timestamp":1787865581486,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787788800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"2023 Provincial State-owned Capital Operating Budget Science and Technology Innovation Special Fund Project Plan","award":["JF-23-01-0063"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JF-23-01-0063"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100019595","name":"Youth and Middle-aged Scientific and Technological Innovation Leading Talents Program of the Corps","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["20240409"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20240409"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100019595","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>To maximize the resource utilization of waste tires, this study systematically investigates the rheological degradation, phase stability, and micro-evolution mechanisms of high-content (30 wt%\u201350 wt%) desulfurized rubber modified asphalt (HDRA) under short-term and long-term thermo-oxidative aging by rotating film oven test and pressure aging vessel test (RTFOT and PAV). Through multi-scale approaches including DSR, BBR, TD-GC-MS, FTIR, and microscopic morphology characterizations (SEM\/FM), the macroscopic rheology, full-lifecycle volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, and morphological responses were quantitatively evaluated. The results reveal that the 50% HDRA exhibits a unique \u201caging self-adaptive\u201d characteristic: thermo-oxidative exposure triggers deep swelling and cross-linking of the dense rubber network, which substantially reinforces high-temperature elasticity while restricting particle migration, thereby completely reversing the initial high-temperature segregation susceptibility. However, the hyper-dense skeleton introduces a low-temperature \u201crheological trade-off\u201d; long-term aging restricts the internal free volume, significantly diminishing the stress relaxation capacity under sub-zero conditions. Furthermore, gaseous molecule tracking and chemical index analysis confirm a microscopic \u201csacrificial protection\u201d mechanism. The early-stage intensive depolymerization and devulcanization of the rubber network consume thermo-oxidative energy and physically and chemically shield the base asphalt from profound hardening. Consequently, as aging deepens, the full-lifecycle failure mode transitions from conventional matrix embrittlement to severe polymer-asphalt interfacial debonding and phase homogenization. This study provides a novel theoretical foundation for the precise design and eco-friendly application of ultra-high content solid-waste rubber in long-life pavement materials.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0357088","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T20:32:32Z","timestamp":1787862752000},"page":"e0357088","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Insights into thermo-oxidative aging properties and mechanisms of high-content desulfurized rubber modified asphalt: A macro-rheological and micro-chemical perspective"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-9675-1144","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Xiaoming","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"4th Construction Co., Ltd. of China Construction 5th Engineering Bureau","place":["Xi\u2019an, 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