Asphaltene

By Simon Cotton2010-07-01T00:00:00

Source: Paul Rapson/Science Photo Library

Simon Cotton takes a look at those compounds that find themselves in the news or relate to our everyday lives

Something to do with road surfaces?

Bitumen (asphalt) is the highest-boiling point, heaviest and most polar fraction from the vacuum distillation of crude oil. Bitumen is composed of asphaltene and maltene. The heavy insoluble asphaltene molecules give bitumen its body and softening point while the maltenes are oily and make asphalt flexible. Asphaltene molecules are soluble in aromatic solvents like toluene but insoluble in heptane. The maltenes are heptane-soluble molecules and less aromatic.

So asphaltenes are aromatic?

Highly aromatic; some are hydrocarbons but many molecules contain odd heteroatoms, ie N, O, and S. There are also some metals present - V, Ni and Fe.

Simon Cotton learns more about this common compound.

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