Quantitative temperature-depending mapping of mechanical properties of bitumen at the nanoscale using the AFM operated with PeakForce Tapping™ mode.

The mechanical properties of bitumen, such as elasticity/Young's modulus, stickiness/adhesion, hardness and energy loss, and sample deformation were acquired quantitatively and simultaneously with the topology at the microscale, discriminating clearly two separate phases within the bitumen. Temperature-dependent measurements revealed detailed and specific data about the changes of these properties with temperature, enabling the development of predictive models for the performance and durability of asphalt.