The present invention is generally related to the analysis of chemical compositions of hydrocarbons and
hydrocarbon blends. This method applies specifically to the problem of analyzing extremely complex
hydrocarbon-containing mixtures when the number and diversity of molecules makes it impossible to realistically identify and quantify them individually in a reasonable timeframe and cost. The
advantage to this method over prior art is the ability to separate and identify
chemical constituents and
solvent fractions based on their
solvent-
solubility characteristics, their high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) adsorption and
desorption behaviors, and their interactions with stationary phases; and subsequently identify and quantify them at least partially using various combinations of non-destructive HPLC, destructive HPLC, and stand-alone detectors presently not routinely used for HPLC but reconfigured to obtain spectra
on the fly. This analytical method is especially useful for, but not limited to,
asphalt binders and
asphalt binder blends, modified asphalts,
asphalt modifiers, asphalt additives,
polymer-modified asphalts, asphalts containing rejuvenators and
softening agents, asphalts containing
recycled products, aged asphalts, and air-blown asphalts, which may contain wide varieties of different types of additives and chemistries, and forensic applications, and environmental
pollutant identification.