FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY APPLIED TO THE STUDY OF THERMOPLASTIC BITUMEN

LA MICROSCOPIE DE FLUORESCENCE APPLIQUEE A DOBSERVATION DE BITUMES THERMOPLASTIQUES

This article describes the state of the art of the applications of microscopy to the characterization of the different structural types of thermoplastic bitumen. It discusses methods of interpreting observations and proposes a methodology for studying the mixtures based on the comparison of observations on their structure obtained by means of microscopy and their mechanical properties (stress-strain curves). It is shown that fluorescence microscopy is a very satisfactory technique for investigating the homogeneity and the structure of bitumen to which thermoplastic elastomer has been added: at first a small concentration of thermoplastic elastomer is added and the polymer disperses in a continuous phase of the bitumen; when the concentration of elastomer increases, a transition zone is reached in which the continuous bitumen phase is replaced with a solvate polymer matrix. The mechanical properties of these modified binders depend mainly on the time which elapses between the moment the binder reaches laying temperature (165 degrees C) and the temperature at which it can be used. /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausees (LCPC)

  Boulevard Lefebvre 58
  Paris Cedex 15,   France  F-75732
• Authors:
  • BRULE, B
  • Druom, M
• Publication Date: 1975-9-10

Language

• French

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 11-14
• Serial:
  • Bulletin de Liaison des Lab des Ponts et Chaussees
  • Issue Number: 79
  • Publisher: Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausees (LCPC)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Admixtures; Binders; Bitumen; Chemical composition; Cooling; Deformation; Deformation curve; Elastomers; Fluorescence; Homogeneity; Microscopes; Microscopy; Polymerization; Speed; Stresses; Temperature; Thermoplastic materials
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials; I35: Miscellaneous Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00149680
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Central Laboratory of Bridges & Highways, France
• Report/Paper Numbers: Analytic
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 4 1977 12:00AM