Research on the Correlation Between the Chemical Components and the Macroscopic Properties of Asphalt Binder

The chemical composition of asphalt binder is closely related to its macroscopic properties, and as an important road building material, its performance directly affects the service performance of asphalt binder pavement. Saturate, aromatic, resin, and asphaltene are the four most common chemical components of asphalt binders, collectively known as the SARA components. The SARA components are used to establish the corresponding relationship between the chemical composition and the macroscopic properties of asphalt binder, which is of great significance for further research on and development of high-performance asphalt pavement materials. This study used eight types of virgin asphalt binders as raw materials, labeled A-H. Firstly, the thin-layer chromatography-flame ionization detection (TLC-FID) method was used to test the SARA contents of the different asphalt binders. Then, the conventional, rheological, and low-temperature properties of the different binders were tested. Finally, gray relational analysis (GRA) and Pearson correlation analysis (PCA) were used to study the correlation between the asphalt binder's SARA content and its macroscopic properties. The results indicate that the contents of asphaltenes and resins are crucial in determining the high-temperature performance of asphalt binder. By adjusting the ratio of these components, the high-temperature performance of asphalt binder can be optimized. An increase in the content of heavy components, particularly asphaltenes, negatively affects the low-temperature performance of asphalt binder. In contrast, a higher aromatic content enhances its low-temperature performance.