The Use of Toluene as a Carrier Solvent for Gel Permeation Chromatography Analyses of Asphalt

Abstract

Toluene, used as a carrier solvent in GPC analyses provides different elution profiles for asphalt materials than does THF. With proper precautions and technique, chromatogram reproducibility is excellent. GPC analyses of Corbett fractions in both THF and toluene provide insight into the refractive index, solvent power, and column interaction effects which give rise to the different elution profiles in toluene. The differences provide additional information on asphalt composition which may be of use in predicting asphalt performance.