Asphalt Flashcards
What is Asphalt Cement?
A viscous cementitious material composed primarily of high molecular weight hydrocarbons.
What is Asphalt Concrete?
A complex material consisting of asphalt cement, mineral aggragates and possibly some admixtures.
Bitumen occurs?
- Naturally: as Rock asphalt (sandstone and limestone) and as Lake asphalt (40% bitumen mixed with silt and clay)
- Industrially: The Leftover obtained when lighter constituents of crude oil are distilled away during refining.
Why is Asphalt Cement ideal for the construction of pavements?
- Waterproof
- Ability to adhere to solid particles such as aggregates
Asphalt Cement can be made temporarily fluid for construction operations by?
- Melting: heating above 140C
- Dissolving in selected petroleum solvents
- Emulsifying or dispersing the asphalt in water (12-15% water)
Types and Applications of Cutback Asphalts?
- Slow Curing: Low viscosity/high penetration used for cold-laid pavement bases (solvent: Diesel)
- Medium Curing: Medium viscosity/medium penetration used for cold-pavement bases (solvent: Kerosene)
- Rapid Curing: High viscosity/low penetration used for mixed in place pavements (solvent: Naphtha)
What emulsifying agents are used to make water and asphalt mixable?
- Soap
- fine clay
What is the chemical composition of Asphalt Cement?
CnH2n+bXd
What is the typical composition of Asphalt Cements?
- Carbon (80-87%)
- Hydrogen (9-11%)
- Oxygen (2-8%)
- Nitrogen (0-1%)
- Sulphur (0.5-7%)
- Trace Metals (0-0.5%)
What are the three phases of asphalt cement?
- Dispersion (Oil) which contributes to its viscosity and fluidity
- Dispersed (Asphaltene) which contributes to its strength and stiffness
- Interfacial (Resin) which contributes to its adhesion and ductility
What is meant by chemically stable structure?
When the three phases exist as continuum with no distinct boundaries between them: Oil act as a solvent for the resins and the resin acts as a solvent for the asphaltenes
What happens when the temperature goes up?
Asphaltenes become more soluble in the resins, which in turn become more soluble in the oils. The material becomes less viscous
What happens when the temperature goes down?
Asphaltenes become less soluble, for micelles, and the material becomes more vicious
What is the glass transition temperature?
The temperature at which the asphalt cement goes from visco-elastic to liquid (Newtonian fluids). Tg = 140C
What happens if the temperature decreases below 140C?
The structure is effectively frozen and the material becomes rigid and brittle.
What kind of relation between temperature and viscosity?
Indirect non-linear relation
What are the methods to evaluate the changes due to aging in asphalt cement?
- Rolling Thin Film Oven procedure
- Provinsional standard PP1