The study of bitumen by differential scanning calorimetry: The interpretation of thermal effects

By the method of temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry it`s carried out the study of the microstructure of petroleum bitumen and its fractions (macro- and microcrystalline paraffins, mono-, bi-, poly cycloaromatic hydrocarbons, asphaltenes, nonpolar and polar resins). The method makes it possible to separate order-disorder transition from glass transition and to identify phase transitions invisible or overlapping on the curves of conventional DSC. The thermal effects of glass transition, cold crystallization and recrystallization, melting of crystalline structures, isotropization and disordering of mesophases were identified on the thermograms of bitumen and its fractions.