Wax in Bitumen

ABSTRACT Wax in bitumen has for a long time been of great interest, particularly regarding effects on bitumen quality and methods for determining wax content. Opinions about wax in bitumen have varied over the years and sometimes been contradictory. The findings of a literature study are presented in two companion papers. The main intention of the study was to give an extensive description of the field of knowledge concerning wax in bitumen. In this paper, classifications and general aspects on effects of wax in crude oil and bitumen are described. Theories behind possible mechanisms are also discussed, and commercial wax as additive to bitumen for different purposes described. Effects of wax are influenced by chemical composition and rheological properties of the bitumen, amount of wax in the bitumen as well as chemical composition and crystalline structure of the wax. The effect of wax on bitumen is linked to its crystallinity and melting properties. The temperature range of application as well as the definition of wax in bitumen is also of great importance. The presence of large wax crystals (macrocrystalline wax) in bitumen is considered to be most problematic. However, waxes in bitumen generally are microcrystalline and/or amorphous and can contain branched, alicyclic and aromatic components with heteroatoms, which renders crystallization considerably more difficult. KEYWORDS: Bitumen WaxState-of-the-ArtChemical Composition