Asphalt toluene-insoluble constituents

In procedure A, a sample is mixed with pentane and centrifuged, after which the resid or asphalt solution is decanted and the precipitate is washed twice with pentane, dried, and weighed. For toluene-insoluble constituents, a separate sample of the resid or asphalt is mixed with pentane and centrifuged. The precipitate is washed twice with pentane, once with toluene-alcohol solution, and once with toluene. The insoluble material is then dried and weighed. In procedure B, procedure A is followed except that instead of pentane, a pentane-coagulant solution is used. 

The carbene and carboid fractions are generated by thermal degradation or by oxidative degradation and are not considered to be naturally occurring constituents of asphalt. The test method for determining the toluene-insoluble constituents of tar and pitch (ASTM D-4072, ASTM D-4312) can be used to determine the amount of carbenes and carboids in asphalt. 

The fractions obtained in these schemes are defined operationally or procedurally. The amount and type of asphaltenes in an asphalt are, for instance, defined by the solvent used for precipitating them. Fractional separation of asphalt does not provide well-defined chemical components. The materials separated should only be defined in terms of the particular test procedure (Fig. 15.5). However, these fractions are generated by thermal degradation or by oxidative degradation and are not considered to be naturally occurring constituents of asphalt. The test method for determining the toluene-insoluble constituents of tar and pitch (ASTM D-4072, ASTM D-4312) can be used to determine the amount of carbenes and carboids in asphalt. 

Another method (ASTM D-893) covers the determination of pentane-and toluene-insoluble constituents in used lubricating oils and can be applied to asphalt. Pentane-insoluble constituents include oil-insoluble materials, and toluene-insoluble constituents can come from external contamination and highly carbonized materials from degradation. A significant change in pentane- or toluene=insoluble constituents indicates a change in asphalt properties that could lead to problems in service. The insoluble constituents measured can also assist in evaluating the performance characteristics of asphalt. 

Generally, asphalt can be fractionated into four important fractions saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes . The classic definition of fractions of asphalts is based on the solution properties of petroleum residuum in various solvents. A complete fractionation scheme is given in Figure 1 (1) the oil constituents are propane soluble (2) resins are n-pentane soluble but propane insoluble (3) asphaltenes are toluene soluble but n-pentane insoluble and (4) preasphaltenes are insoluble both in n-pentane and toluene. The fractionated part of oil is generally considered to be a combination of saturates and aromatics. The polarity of these four fractions increases from saturates, to aromatics, to resins, to asphdtenes. 

---