STUDY OF SATURATED COMPONENTS IN ASPHALT

The saturated fractious separated from blown and straight run asphalts of the same penetration grade have been investigated by using GC, MS and C-13 NMR methods. The saturated components in asphalt represent co mplex mixture of polyalkyl structures in which straight chain paraffin s prevail. The content of saturates in asphalt and their molecular com position were found to be affected by the chemical nature of crude oil as well as by the method of its processing into asphalt. Saturated fr actions from blown asphalt ate richer in long chain paraffins than tho se from straight run asphalts. The structural examination of saturated components separated from the products of asphalt pyrolysis has confi rmed the presence of long straight-chain units iu the asphalt-forming micelles. The structural differences between the saturated fractions o btained from asphalts of different origin (Uralian and Blent-blend) su ggest, that the distribution of straight-chain hydrocarbons iu asphalt s is dependent on the aliphatic network already existing in the raw ma terial.