• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.664-671
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• 2011

The vacuum residue of petroleum refinery, i.e. asphalt, was modified through a non-catalytic air blowing process to prepare the semi-blown asphalt. Changes in composition, chemical structure, and physical properties of asphalt were examined. The result from the thin layer chromatography showed that the asphaltene content in asphalt was increased by the air blowing on account of the aromatization of aliphatic hydrocarbon and condensation. These changes in molecular structure were also confirmed by $^1H-NMR$, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry. Because of the molecular structure changes, the penetration of asphalt was decreased and the softening point and the flash point of asphalt were increased.