Inverse Gas-Liquid Chromatography. A New Approach for Studying Petroleum Asphalts.

A NEW APPROACH TO THE CHARACTERIZATION OF ASPHALT IS DESCRIBED IN WHICH THE ASPHALT SERVES AS THE LIQUID SUBSTRATE IN AN UNSUAL APPLICATION OF GAS LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY /GLC/. THE TERM INVERSE GLC HAS BEEN APPLIED TO DIFFERENTIATE THIS TECHNIQUE FROM CONVENTIONAL GLC. IN THE TECHNIQUE, THE ASPHALT ON THE COLUMN IS CHARACTERIZED BY MEASURING THE CORRECTED RETENTION VOLUMES OF A SERIES OF SELECTED TEST COMPOUNDS WITH DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL GROUPS. THE RETENTION DATA ARE QUANTIFIED BY REFERENCING TO THE BEHAVIOR OF N-PARAFFINS ON THE ASPHALT COLUMN. THE RETENTION BEHAVIOR OF EACH TEST COMPOUND DEPENDS ON INTERACTIONS WITH FUNCTIONALITY IN THE ASPHALT AND THUS IS RELATED TO THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ASPHALT. THE NEW TECHNIQUE WAS FOUND TO BE USEFUL IN SHOWING DIFFERENCES AMONG ASPHALTS AND HOLDS PROMISE AS A METHOD OF STUDYING ASPHALT COMPOSITION AND SHOWING CHEMICAL CHANGES WHICH OCCUR ON OXIDATION AND WEATHERING. /AUTHOR/