Towards the characterization of bitumen–mineral interactions in a natural asphalt
Abstract
A natural and a petroleum asphalt were examined with respect to elemental, functional group, minor, and trace element composition. Bitumen–inorganic and bitumen–mineral associations are reported. The affinity of specific functional groups for inorganic elements has been characterized, thus making it possible to predict the type of interactions that will occur based on compositional analyses of both the bitumen and mineral.