| Abstract: | Xenon-arc irradiation was used to study the influence of a wide range of radiation intensity on the rate of photo-oxidation of a sample of air-blown bitumen as determined by infra-red spectroscopy. The xenon-arc was monitored to provide information on its rate of decay, and its range of intensity was compared with that of total solar radiation in Melbourne. Thermal (dark) oxidation rates were also determined at various temperatures. The information obtained is discussed in terms of the mechanism of photo-oxidation of bitumen and the relation to climatological data. Acceleration factors for oxidation of bitumen in the laboratory for prediction of durability were determined by applying the superposition principle to the data. |
