When it comes to polymer-modified asphalt, it is of paramount importance to understand how the polymer is incorporated into the asphalt’s maltenic medium. The tool that helps us to observe this phenomenon is the Optical Fluorescence Microscope.
Fluorescence is the property that certain bodies have to transform incoming radiation into longer wavelength radiation. Thus, an asphalt-polymer mixture excited by an intense blue light causes the polymer to emit a yellow colored fluorescence, while the asphalt-rich phase appears dark in color.
This makes it possible to observe when a polymer has been well dispersed and to ensure the system’s colloidal stability. Stratura Asfaltos is a pioneer in high-performance asphalt technology and also in empirical and rheological evaluations, and has the Optical Fluorescence Microscope equipment to meet the requests of the road community.
