Influence of Chemical Composition on the Physical Characteristics of Paving Asphalts

Abstract

The simplest general compositional model considers asphalt to be made up of asphaltenes, heavy oils, and resins. In the present study the extent of similarity between the properties and composition of various types of asphalt obtained from different sources has been carefully explored. It shows how ductility, penetration, and softening point are related to the chemical nature of paving asphalts in the range 41–58 softening points. Asphalt properties are found to be a direct function of its chemical constituents. The relationship between softening point and asphaltene content was found to be linear while asphalts of the same softening point are easily distinguished by the content of the resins. Evaluation of the two asphalt indices—the asphaltene index (I _A ) and the Gaestel index (I _C ), reveals that they both vary linearly with the composition of asphaltenes and resins thus confirming their suitability in the characterization of asphalts. Comparison of the two indices shows that IC is more suitable in estimating the colloidal stability of different groups of asphalts. The observed correlations can be found useful in the areas of asphalt blending and rejuvenating through the appropriate selection of asphalt components.