Research on Chemical Composition Changing of Heteroatom Compounds during Asphalt Aging Process

It’s easy to cause asphalt aging in the production, storage, transportation and construction sectors; the polar compounds of asphalt in the aging process were studied by using negative-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry (MS).Test results showed that, with the deepening of aging process, molecular weight of asphalt samples was increasing. Ox class compounds had the biggest content change; Content of Nx class compounds were basically stable; Content changing range of class NxOy compounds was affected by types of compounds. Aging degree of heteroatom compounds was affected by molecular condensation degree, and oxidation rate of low DBE compounds was higher than that of high DBE compounds. The result is of value to analysis of asphalt production and asphalt recycling.