Location
Havener Center, Meramac Gasconade Room, 9:30am-11:30am
Start Date
4-1-2026 10:30 AM
End Date
4-1-2026 11:00 AM
Presentation Date
April 1, 2026; 10:30am-11:00am
Description
Asphalt is a relatively inexpensive material commonly used for road pavements; however, asphalt ages from exposure to oxygen and UV radiation, leading to loss of elasticity, which leads to cracks and potholes. To slow or reverse asphalt aging, pavement preservation treatments are in use. It’s unclear whether these treatments truly rejuvenate the pavement structure or merely offer a short-term benefit. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry is an analytical technique that uses the recovery of excited nuclear magnetization as a parameter to gain insights into molecular environments. Recovery-time distributions gathered from asphalt materials show differences between regular and rejuvenated asphalt samples, revealing changes in the asphalt’s molecular environment through aging and rejuvenation. Since NMR relaxometry is non-destructive and requires only small amounts of sample for a thorough analysis, this technique offers a new approach to evaluate road pavements before cracks and potholes become prevalent and predict the performance of rejuvenation treatments.
Biography
Catherine Skaggs came to Missouri S&T from St. Charles, Missouri. She is a sophomore student of chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry and a minor in cognitive neuroscience. She is a member of the S&T Honors Academy and has participated in the First Year Research Experience (FYRE) program of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education (CASE) and the campus’ Opportunity for Undergraduate Research Experience (OURE). She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, the treasurer of Concrete Canoe Design Team, and an advanced member of the campus’s Climbing Club.
Meeting Name
2026 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Chemistry
Document Type
Presentation
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved
Included in
Biochemistry Commons, Materials Chemistry Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Physical Chemistry Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons
Asphalt Pavement Rejuvenation Investigated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry
Havener Center, Meramac Gasconade Room, 9:30am-11:30am
Asphalt is a relatively inexpensive material commonly used for road pavements; however, asphalt ages from exposure to oxygen and UV radiation, leading to loss of elasticity, which leads to cracks and potholes. To slow or reverse asphalt aging, pavement preservation treatments are in use. It’s unclear whether these treatments truly rejuvenate the pavement structure or merely offer a short-term benefit. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry is an analytical technique that uses the recovery of excited nuclear magnetization as a parameter to gain insights into molecular environments. Recovery-time distributions gathered from asphalt materials show differences between regular and rejuvenated asphalt samples, revealing changes in the asphalt’s molecular environment through aging and rejuvenation. Since NMR relaxometry is non-destructive and requires only small amounts of sample for a thorough analysis, this technique offers a new approach to evaluate road pavements before cracks and potholes become prevalent and predict the performance of rejuvenation treatments.
Comments
Advisor: Klaus Woelk, woelk@mst.edu