An Attempt to Track Two Grades of Road Bitumen from Different Plants Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to track binders produced by three different plants: plants A, B, and C. The work included the quality assessment of 80 bituminous materials graded as BND 70/100 and 100/130 according to GOST 33133 (Russian interstate standard) and chemical analyses using FTIR spectroscopy. FTIR analyses were conducted before and after short-term ageing in a Rolling Thin Film Oven Test (RTFOT). Thus, the number of binder samples was multiplied by two (2) for a final total of 160 infrared (IR) spectra. All infrared spectra were normalised to ensure the reliability of results, and the standard deviation and variance coefficient were included. The principal purpose of the present work was to track the origin and the ageing extent of the bituminous binders under study.

Evaluation on the Performance of Hydraulic Bitumen Binders under High and Low Temperatures for Pumped Storage Power Station Projects

“…For SBS polymer-modified bitumen binders, the SBS polymer consists of a polybutadiene segment in the middle with polystyrene blocks at the ends, which contains the C=C bonds in the unsaturated carbon chains and benzene rings, respectively. Two special absorption peaks at 966 cm −1 and 699 cm −1 can identify the polybutadiene (PB) and polystyrene (PS), respectively, and thus they can be used to characterize the existence of SBS in its modified asphalt binder with FTIR spectroscopy [ 25 , 26 ]. Furthermore, the degradation of the SBS polymer during binder aging can also be detected.…”