Investigation of Oxidation Homogeneity in Asphalt Puck after Simulation of Long-Term Aging (Pressure Aging Vessel)

For decades, it has been known that the creation of oxygenated functional groups, especially carbonyl and sulfoxide, is among the main causes of chemical aging and degradation of asphalt. However, is the oxidation of a bitumen homogeneous? The focus of this paper was to follow the oxidation phenomena through an asphalt puck during a pressure aging vessel (PAV) test. According to the literature, the asphalt oxidation process that leads to the creation of oxygenated functions can be divided into the following successive main steps: the absorption of oxygen in asphalt at the air/asphalt interface, diffusion into the matrix, and reaction with asphalt molecules. To study the PAV oxidation process, the creation of carbonyl and sulfoxide functional groups in three asphalts were investigated after various aging protocols by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). From these experiments performed on different layers of asphalt puck, it was observed that PAV aging resulted in a nonhomogeneous oxidation level inside the entire matrix. Compared to the upper surface, the lower section exhibited carbonyl and sulfoxide indices 70% and 33% lower, respectively. Moreover, the difference in the oxidation level between the top and bottom surfaces increased when the thickness and viscosity of the asphalt sample increased.

Automated summary

It has been known for many years that the creation of oxygenated functional groups, such as carbonyl and sulfoxide, is a major factor contributing to the chemical aging and degradation of asphalt. This paper focused on studying the oxidation process of asphalt during a pressure aging vessel (PAV) test. The research found that the oxidation level within the asphalt matrix was nonhomogeneous, with the lower section exhibiting significantly lower carbonyl and sulfoxide indices compared to the upper surface. The difference in oxidation level between the top and bottom surfaces increased with thicker and more viscous asphalt samples.