A Study of the Compatibility Between Asphalt and SBS

In this article, the compatibilities between different components of a base asphalt and styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) have been analyzed from microscopic structures. Specifically, the asphalt was separated into three components: saturates, aromatics, and resins, by Solvent Recycled Absorption Chromatography Separation Technology (SRACST). The compatibilities between these different components and the polymer were compared with the help of Fluorescence Microscope (FM) with which the existing state of the polymer SBS in these different components could be examined obviously. The modified effects indicated that aromatics could cause SBS swollen and, resins dissolved SBS better than saturates, though both the two components could partially dissolve SBS and the two mixtures presented two immiscible phase systems. In order to further investigate the compatibility between aromatics and SBS, from macroscopic properties, an additive rich in aromatics was added to the SBS/asphalt mixture, and the result was satisfactory.