Steric Hardening and the Ordering of Asphaltenes in Bitumen

Steric hardening is the hardening of bitumen over time at room temperature. It occurs after bitumen is melted and it often leads to poor reproducibility in standard testing. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry shows that asphaltenes order when bitumen is cooled from the melt and that this phenomenon is time dependent. This communication establishes the link between the ordering of the asphaltenes in bitumen and its steric hardening. It is suggested that at least 24 h elapse between the melting and pouring of bitumen and its subsequent testing by standardized methods.

• Record URL:
  http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/nrcc47288/
• Corporate Authors:

  National Research Council of Canada

  Institute for Research in Construction, 1200 Montreal Road
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada  K1A 0R6
• Authors:
  • MASSON, JF
  • Collins, P
  • Polomark, G
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: 11p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphaltene; Bituminous materials; Concrete hardening; Tests; Time intervals
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Design; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01046366
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Report/Paper Numbers: NRCC 47288
• Files: TAC
• Created Date: Mar 26 2007 10:50AM