Energy Sources Part A-recovery Utilization and Environmental Effects, Vol.37, No.14, 1495-1504, 2015
Comparison of the Physical Properties and Chemical Structures of the Tahe Asphalt Before and After Oxidative Aging
Properties of the #100 Tahe common road asphalt and the chemical composition structures of its components, aromatics, resins, and aspahltenes, were investigated by a thermal-oxidative experiment and ruthenium-ion-catalyzed oxidation. Compared with #90 heavy traffic paving asphalt from residues of middle Saudi Arab crude oil and Zhonghai #36-1 asphalt, the #100 Tahe common road asphalt shows the worst aging resistance results. Tahe asphalt was prone to aggregate and precipitate for its higher aromatic carbon ratios and condensation indexes, as well as a larger amount of aromatic rings in its resins and asphaltenes. In the aging process, they were easily transformed to heavy components and showed poor aging resistance. For large and coherent aromatic rings in the aromatic structure of its asphaltenes, the aging resistance of Tahe asphalt was greatly affected. To improve the aging resistance of the Tahe asphalt, it was essential to change its colloid structure and increase the dispersion of asphaltenes.
Keywords:aging resistance;chemical structure;ruthenium-ion-catalyzed oxidation;Tahe asphalt;thermal-oxidative