Due to the complicacy
of asphalt fumes, the analytical
methods
for investigating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are very limited.
In this study, a direct and real-time analysis method based on carbon
fiber ionization mass spectrometry (CFI-MS), an ambient mass spectrometric
technique, was established and successfully applied in the analysis
of asphalt VOCs. The asphalt VOCs can be directly detected in the
open atmosphere without the collection step of asphalt fumes, and
the mass spectra of one asphalt sample can be obtained in a few seconds
in both positive and negative ion modes. By investigating the mass
spectral changes of asphalt fumes at different heating temperatures
ranging from 50 to 200 °C, the temperature factor of asphalt
fume emission was demonstrated in this work. The research results
demonstrate that the complexity of asphalt fumes is positively related
to the applied temperature. Moreover, the VOCs of saturates, aromatics,
resins, and asphaltenes fractions were also analyzed by the direct
analysis method. The result shows that aromatics contribute most to
the emission of VOCs. In addition, the obtained mass spectra combined
with the principal component analysis method show the great potential
to quickly screen VOC inhibitors of asphalt materials.