ACTION OF MICROORGANISMS ON PETROLEUM-ASPHALT FRACTIONS

THE ACTION OF SOIL BACTERIA ON ASPHALT WAS STUDIED TO DETERMINE WHETHER BACTERIA OXIDIZED ASPHALT TO THE EXTENT OF BACTERIAL ACTION COULD BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS OF ASPHALT OXIDATION. A LITERATURE RESEARCH REVEALED ONLY A FRAGMENTARY STUDY OF THE ACTION OF MICROORGANISMS ON PETROLEUM ASPHALT. STUDY REVEALS THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF ASPHALT MATS ARE SUBJECT TO BACTERIAL ATTACK AT THE SHOULDER. MAINTENANCE FOREMEN ESTIMATE THAT 60% OF OIL-MAT MAINTENANCE IS SHOULDER REPLACEMENT. THE POSSIBILITY OF USING CHLORINATED ASPHALT TO INHIBIT BACTERIAL ACTIVITY IS BEING EXPLORED. CULTURES CAPABLE OF ATTACKING CRUDE OIL, LUBRICATING OILS, VASELINE, ASPHALT, AND ALL OTHER PETROLEUM FRACTIONS USED WERE OBTAINED FROM GARDEN SOIL. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LIGHT TO MEDIUM-WEIGHT FRACTIONS ARE MORE SUBJECT TO ATTACK THAN THE HEAVY VISCOUS PORTIONS AND THAT THE PARAFFINIC FRACTIONS ARE MORE READILY BROKEN DOWN THAN THE AROMATIC TYPES. THE BREAKDOWN OF OIL IS AN OXIDATIVE CHANGE CHARACTERIZED BY A HIGH BACTERIAL COUNT, EMULSIFICATION AND SOMETIMES A DECREASE IN PH. THERE WAS LESS OXYGEN UPTAKE IN FERMENTATIONS OF HEAVY OILS COMPARED TO SIMILAR LIGHTER FRACTIONS. THE CARBON DIOXIDE TO OXIDE RATIO FOR THE DISSIMILATION OF LIGHT OILS IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 0.65. THE ORGANISMS WERE ALL MOTILE GRAM-NEGATIVE RODS INCLUDING PSEUDOMONAS, AND MANY WHITE-MUCOID TYPES. THE CULTURES DID NOT EXHIBIT A SPECIFIC ABILITY TO ATTACK ONE TYPE OF OIL BUT RATHER A CAPACITY TO ADAPT THEMSELVES TO THE PARTICULAR OIL THAT WAS PRESENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE ULTIMATE EFFECT OF THE ATTACK OF MICROORGANISMS SHOULD NOT BE UNDERRATED.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/118/118-003.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 118, pp 27-48, 12 FIG, 9 TAB Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Burgess, S J
• Publication Date: 1956

Media Info

• Monograph Title: Effects of chlorination and microorganisms and constituents of asphalts
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 118
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt; Asphalt additives; Bacteria; Chlorination; Crude oil; Highway maintenance; Mat footings; Microorganisms; Oxidation; Paraffin; Reviews; Road shoulders; Soils
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mats
• Old TRIS Terms: Paraffinic component /asphalt/
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00211342
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 9 1994 12:00AM