What Oil Is Asphalt Afraid of

Asphalt pavement is particularly susceptible to gasoline and diesel, whose chemical makeup chiefly comprises alkanes and cycloalkanes. In contrast, asphalt is made up of saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds, asphaltenes, and resins.

Research indicates a similarity in chemical composition between asphalt and these fuels, evidenced by their close dissolution parameters. This similarity underpins the “like dissolves like” principle, suggesting that gasoline and diesel can significantly penetrate and dissolve asphalt.