Observation of a Network Structure in Asphalt Cements

Paving asphalts are often judged and selected based on their rheological behavior at prescribed temperatures or aging response. Asphalts are considered as a colloidal mixture, where clusters of polar, aromatic molecules are dispersed in a less polar solvents. Thus, the extent to which the solvent phase disperses the associating molecules will determine many of the fundamental asphalt properties. Asphalts are typically divided into four major groups, namely: asphaltenes, resins, aromatics, and saturates2. Asphaltenes are the highest molecular weight group and constitute ~25% of the total asphalt. Resins are very polar in nature and act as a dispersing agent or peptisers for the asphaltenes. The solvent or oily phase (aromatics and saturates) are the lightest molecular weight group and are the bulk of the total asphalt (40-50%)2.