CD Laboratory for Chemo-Mechanical Analysis of Bituminous Materials

Bitumen ensures our mobility in asphalt pavements and keeps our houses dry as a sealant. Methods for the quality control of bitumen and for the development of additives to optimise product properties are being researched here.

Bitumen is a heterogeneous petroleum derivative. As a fossilised organic product, it is subject to ageing processes due to weather-related oxidation, which leads to long-term changes in its properties and composition and thus to challenges with product liability and recyclability.

The main aim of this CD Laboratory is therefore to gain a fundamental understanding of the interplay between the composition, structure and mechanical behaviour of bitumen and, building on this, to develop a comprehensive chemo-mechanical analysis tool. To this end, samples of different origins are analysed using a wide range of microscopic, spectroscopic and (micro)-mechanical analysis methods. In addition, an efficient ageing simulation for bitumen is to be developed at laboratory level, which achieves accelerated oxidation under realistic conditions in terms of temperature and pressure and thus quantifies the influence of UV radiation, moisture and so-called reactive oxygen species (ROS). This analysis tool can also be used to analyse the mode of action and effectiveness of additives for oxidation inhibition or material rejuvenation.

The aim is to minimise the risk associated with bitumen, a heterogeneous material that is susceptible to ageing, and to optimise its properties in a targeted manner.