الوصف

BITUMEN is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product; it is a substance classed as a pitch. Until the *0th century, the term asphaltum was also used. The word is derived from the Greek 'asphaltos' which in turn was borrowed from an Eastern word.
The components of asphalt are classified into four classes of compounds:
saturates, saturated hydrocarbons, the % saturates correlates with softening point of the material
Naphthene aromatics, consisting of partially hydrogenated polycyclic aromatic compounds.
Polar aromatics, consisting of high molecular weight phenols and carboxylic acids
Asphaltenes, consisting of high molecular weight phenols and heterocyclic compounds