Asphalt hydrogen content

All crudes are a variation of the hydrocarbon base CH2. The ultimate composition shows 84 to 86% carbon, 10 to 14% hydrogen, and small percentages of sulfur (0.06 to 2%), nitrogen (2 %), and oxygen (0.1 to 2%). The sulfur content is usually below 1.0% but may be as high as 5.0%. Physically crude oil may be water-white, clear yellowish, green, brown, or black, heavy and thick like tar or asphalt. 

Generally, most asphalt is 79-88% w/w carbon, 7-13% w/w hydrogen, trace-8% w/w sulfur, 2-8% w/w oxygen, and trace-3% w/w nitrogen.Trace metals such as iron, nickel, vanadium, calcium, titanium, magnesium, sodium, cobalt, copper, tin, and zinc occur in crude oils. Vanadium and nickel are bound in organic complexes and, by virtue of the concentration (distillation) process by which asphalt is manufactured, are also found in asphalt. The catalytic behavior of vanadium has prompted studies of the relation between vanadium content and an asphalt s sensitivity to oxidation (viscosity ratio).The significance of metals in the behavior of asphalts is not yet well understood or defined. 

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