Viscous Phase Research Articles

Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes

We present a facile method to prepare nanostructured lipid particles stabilized by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Single-walled (pristine) and multi-walled (functionalized) CNTs are used as stabilizers to produce Pickering type oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. Lipids namely, Dimodan U and Phytantriol are used as emulsifiers, which in excess water self-assemble into the bicontinuous cubic Pn3m phase. This highly viscous phase is fragmented into smaller particles using a probe ultrasonicator in presence of conventional surfactant stabilizers or CNTs as done here. Initially, the CNTs (powder form) are dispersed in water followed by further ultrasonication with the molten lipid to form the final emulsion. During this process the CNTs get coated with lipid molecules, which in turn are presumed to surround the lipid droplets to form a particulate emulsion that is stable for months. The average size of CNT-stabilized nanostructured lipid particles is in the submicron range, which compares well with the particles stabilized using conventional surfactants. Small angle X-ray scattering data confirms the retention of the original Pn3m cubic phase in the CNT-stabilized lipid dispersions as compared to the pure lipid phase (bulk state). Blue shift and lowering of the intensities in characteristic G and G' bands of CNTs observed in Raman spectroscopy characterize the interaction between CNT surface and lipid molecules. These results suggest that the interactions between the CNTs and lipids are responsible for their mutual stabilization in aqueous solutions. As the concentrations of CNTs employed for stabilization are very low and lipid molecules are able to functionalize the CNTs, the toxicity of CNTs is expected to be insignificant while their biocompatibility is greatly enhanced. Hence the present approach finds a great potential in various biomedical applications, for instance, for developing hybrid nanocarrier systems for the delivery of multiple functional molecules as in combination therapy or polytherapy.

Fractional characteristic times and dissipated energy in fractional linear viscoelasticity

In fractional viscoelasticity the stress–strain relation is a differential equation with non-integer operators (derivative or integral). Such constitutive law is able to describe the mechanical behavior of several materials, but when fractional operators appear, the elastic and the viscous contribution are inseparable and the characteristic times (relaxation and retardation time) cannot be defined. This paper aims to provide an approach to separate the elastic and the viscous phase in the fractional stress–strain relation with the aid of an equivalent classical model (Kelvin–Voigt or Maxwell). For such equivalent model the parameters are selected by an optimization procedure. Once the parameters of the equivalent model are defined, characteristic times of fractional viscoelasticity are readily defined as ratio between viscosity and stiffness.In the numerical applications, three kinds of different excitations are considered, that is, harmonic, periodic, and pseudo-stochastic. It is shown that, for any periodic excitation, the equivalent models have some important features: (i) the dissipated energy per cycle at steady-state coincides with the Staverman–Schwarzl formulation of the fractional model, (ii) the elastic and the viscous coefficients of the equivalent model are strictly related to the storage and the loss modulus, respectively.

Electrodeposition of aluminium–copper alloy from 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide ionic liquid

This work studies the electrodeposition of aluminium–copper alloy on highly pure gold substrates in 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl) imide ([BMP]Tf2N) ionic liquid. The investigations were carried out using the white viscous upper phase of AlCl3 based [BMP]Tf2N mixture which aluminium can be only deposited. Because of the limited solubility of copper salts in ionic liquids, Cu ions were introduced into the AlCl3–[BMP]Tf2N system by anodic dissolution of the pure Cu sheet. The results reveal that no significant amount of Cu ions can be introduced into the mixture even at elevated temperatures. However, the Cu dissolution in the pure [BMP]Tf2N liquid at 70°C gave Cu+ ions as calculated from Faraday’s law by weight loss of Cu metal.

Microencapsulation of advanced solvents for carbon capture.

Purpose-designed, water-lean solvents have been developed to improve the energy efficiency of CO2 capture from power plants, including CO2-binding organic liquids (CO2BOLs) and ionic liquids (ILs). Many of these solvents are highly viscous or change phases, posing challenges for conventional process equipment. Such problems can be overcome by encapsulation. Micro-Encapsulated CO2 Sorbents (MECS) consist of a CO2-absorbing solvent or slurry encased in spherical, CO2-permeable polymer shells. The resulting capsules have diameters in the range of 100-600 μm, greatly increasing the surface area and CO2 absorption rate of the encapsulated solvent. Encapsulating these new solvents requires careful selection of shell materials and fabrication techniques. We find several common classes of polymers are not compatible with MECS production, but we develop two custom formulations, a silicone and an acrylate, that show promise for encapsulating water-lean solvents. We make the first demonstration of an encapsulated IL for CO2 capture. The rate of CO2 absorption is enhanced by a factor of 3.5 compared to a liquid film, a value that can be improved by further development of shell materials and fabrication techniques.

Ultradry Carbon Dioxide-in-Water Foams with Viscoelastic Aqueous Phases.

For foams with ultra low water contents, the capillary pressure is very large and induces rapid drainage that destabilizes the aqueous lamellae between the gas bubbles. However, we show that high-pressure CO2-in-water foams can be stabilized with a viscoelastic aqueous phase composed of entangled wormlike micelles, even for extremely high CO2 volume fractions ϕ of 0.95 to 0.98; the viscosity of these ultradry foams increased by up to 3-4-fold, reaching more than 100 cP relative to foams formed with conventional low viscosity aqueous phases. The foam morphology consisted of fine ∼20 μm polyhedral-shaped CO2 bubbles that were stable for hours. The wormlike micelles were formed by mixing anionic sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) with salt and a protonated cationic surfactant, as shown by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and large values of the zero-shear viscosity and the dynamic storage and loss moduli. With the highly viscous continuous aqueous phases, the foam lamella drainage rates were low, as corroborated by confocal microscopy. The preservation of viscous thick lamellae resulted in lower rates of Ostwald ripening relative to conventional foams as shown by high-pressure optical microscopy. The ability to stabilize viscous ultra high internal phase foams is expected to find utility in various practical applications, including nearly "waterless" fracturing fluids for recovery of oil and gas in shale, offering the possibility of a massive reduction in the amount of wastewater.

Rapid three-dimensional microfluidic mixer for high viscosity solutions to unravel earlier folding kinetics of G-quadruplex under molecular crowding conditions

Rapid mixing of highly viscous solutions is a great challenge, which helps to analyze the reaction kinetics in viscous liquid phase, particularly to discover the folding kinetics of macromolecules under molecular crowding conditions mimicking the conditions inside cells. Here, we demonstrated a novel microfluidic mixer based on Dean flows with three-dimensional (3D) microchannel configuration for fast mixing of high-viscosity fluids. The main structure contained three consecutive subunits, each consisting of a “U”-type channel followed by a chamber with different width and height. Thus, the two solutions injected from the two inlets would undergo a mixing in the first “U”-type channel due to the Dean flow effect, and simultaneous vortices expansions in both horizontal and vertical directions in the following chamber. Numerical simulations and experimental characterizations confirmed that the micromixer could achieve a mixing time of 122.4μs for solutions with viscosities about 33.6 times that of pure water. It was the fastest micromixer for high viscosity solutions compared with previous reports. With this highly efficient 3D microfluidic mixer, we further characterized the early folding kinetics of human telomere G-quadruplex under molecular crowding conditions, and unravelled a new folding process within 550μs.

Molecular Designs for Enhancement of Polarity in Ferroelectric Soft Materials.

The racemic oxovanadium(IV) salmmen complexes, [VO((rac)-(4-X-salmmen))] (X = C12C10C5 (1), C16 (2), and C18 (3); salmmen = N,N′-monomethylenebis-salicylideneimine) with “banana shaped” molecular structures were synthesized, and their ferroelectric properties were investigated. These complexes exhibit well-defined hysteresis loops in their viscous phases, moreover, 1 also displays liquid crystal behaviour. We observed a synergetic effect influenced by three structural aspects; the methyl substituents on the ethylene backbone, the banana shaped structure and the square pyramidal metal cores all play an important role in generating the observed ferroelectricity, pointing the way to a useful strategy for the creation of advanced ferroelectric soft materials.

Physical characterization of freeze-dried foam prepared from aloe vera gel and guar gum

Background: Foams are colloidal dispersions of a gas suspended in a dispersing phase, which consisting of a semi-freeze-dried or viscous liquid phase. The physical properties of food foams are the result of the bubble characteristics and their spatial arrangement. Objectives: The aim of this work was to obtain foams of A. vera gel and guar gum and describe the changes in their physical properties and microstructure during freeze-drying using the fractal dimension concept and image analysis techniques. Methods: The porosity, density, and volume expansion factor of the fresh foams that were based on the A. vera foams were determined. The kinetics of foam texture, color, porosity and microstructure of the freeze-dried foams were obtained. The fractal texture dimension of surface (FDSDBC) and microstructure (FDESEM) of the foams were determined as indicators of structural changes after freeze-drying. The guar gum concentrations used to obtain the A. vera prefoam were expressed in w/w as F1 (control simple without gum), F2 (2%), F3 (4%) and F4 (6%). Results: We obtained stable freeze-dried foams of Aloe vera gel and guar gum. The porosity, density and volume expansion factor of the fresh and freeze-dried foams were affected by the addition of the guar gum. Changes in the topology of the freeze-dried foam surface during the drying process resulted in a high rugosity compared with the original smooth surface. The microstructure of the dried foam samples suggested a relationship between the gum concentration of the prefoam A. vera gel mixture and the physical properties before and after freeze-drying, such as an increase in the microstructural alterations and surface roughness during freeze-drying. The roughness of the freeze-dried foam surface, described by the FDSDBC represented the macroscopic physical changes of the samples and correlated with the changes in the foam microstructure, which were described by the fractal dimension of the Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ESEM microphotographs (FDESEM). Conclusions: The digital analysis of the structure and porosity of the freeze-dried foam can be used to quantify the effect of gum concentrations on the morphological features and physical properties of foams during freeze-drying.

Solving the problem of pipeline freezing with respect to external heat exchange

The paper proposes a solution to the problem of freezing of heating pipelines in engineering systems in buildings in emergency situations. A mathematical process model is proposed, wherein heat emissions induced by viscous friction and phase transition are taken into account. Formulas for estimating the rate of freezing have been obtained. Calculation results obtained by using numerical methods are presented. Recommendations on the proper choice of pipe-line diameters to reduce the probability of liquid freezing therein are provided as well. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.mech.21.5.11411

Self-Assembly and Rheological Properties of a Pseudogemini Surfactant Formed in a Salt-Free Catanionic Surfactant Mixture in Water

The surface and bulk properties of bola-type dicarboxylic acid (sebacic acid, SA) and zwitterionic surfactant tetradecyldimethylamine oxide (C14DMAO) mixtures in aqueous solutions were studied. Surface tension measurements indicate a pronounced synergistic effect between SA and C14DMAO. In bulk aqueous solutions, rich phase behavior was observed with a varied SA-to-C14DMAO ratio (ρ) and a total surfactant concentration. Typically at ρ = 0.5, a novel pseudogemini surfactant (C14-S-C14) forms, driven by electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. The C14-S-C14/H2O system exhibits rich phase behavior induced by the transition of aggregates. With increasing concentration of C14-S-C14, one can observe a viscous L1 phase, an L1/Lα two-phase region where a birefringent Lα phase is on the top of an L1 phase, a single Lα phase, and finally a mixture of an Lα phase and a precipitate. Microstructures formed in the Lα phases were determined by freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM) and cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) observations. Polymorphic aggregation behavior was observed with the formation of a variety of bilayer structures including unilamellar vesicles, onions, and open and hyperbranched bilayers. Rheological measurements showed that the Lα phases are viscoelastic and sensitive to temperature where a quick loss of viscoelasticity was observed at elevated temperature.

The effects of membrane composition and morphology on the rotating membrane emulsification technique for food grade emulsions

The effects of using different membrane materials and morphologies in the membrane emulsification process were observed using similar operating parameters and system geometry, allowing a direct comparison of not only the membranes themselves but also between both a stationary cross-flow membrane emulsification device and a rotated membrane emulsification device. Each membrane type tested had distinct characteristics, and the droplet sizes produced responded differently to changes in operating conditions.The rotating membrane produced similar droplet sizes to the cross flow membrane system, but at a much lower shear rate. This suggests that the detachment of the droplets occurs sooner due to the additional centrifugal force and system vibration. The Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane produced the smallest droplet sizes (<1µm from a 1µm membrane), however the stainless steel membrane produced the lowest droplet size to pore size ratio (~0.5:1) due to its cylindrical pore geometry as opposed to the tortuous geometries of the other membranes used. The droplet sizes produced at different pressures are similar between rotated and cross-flow membrane emulsification, with increases in pressure increasing droplet size and size distribution. The viscosity of the continuous phase has an effect on the droplet size; increasing the viscosity decreases the droplet size by increasing the applied shear, allowing fine tailoring of the size produced, with a more viscous continuous phase reducing the droplet size from ~4µm to ~1µm with an increase in viscosity of 100mPas.Rotating membrane emulsification has properties with potential to produce shear sensitive emulsion microstructures with small droplet sizes. Emulsion microstructures such as duplex emulsions, core/shell structures beads etc. can be used in the production of novel food structures.

Evolution of the protolunar disk: Dynamics, cooling timescale and implantation of volatiles onto the Earth

It is thought that the Moon accreted from the protolunar disk that was assembled after the last giant impact on Earth. Due to its high temperature, the protolunar disk may act as a thermochemical reactor in which the material is processed before being incorporated into the Moon. Outstanding issues like devolatilisation and istotopic evolution are tied to the disk evolution, however its lifetime, dynamics and thermodynamics are unknown. Here, we numerically explore the long term viscous evolution of the protolunar disk using a one dimensional model where the different phases (vapor and condensed) are vertically stratified. Viscous heating, radiative cooling, phase transitions and gravitational instability are accounted for whereas Moon’s accretion is not considered for the moment. The viscosity of the gas, liquid and solid phases dictates the disk evolution. We find that (1) the vapor condenses into liquid in ∼10years, (2) a large fraction of the disk mass flows inward forming a hot and compact liquid disk between 1 and 1.7 Earth’s radii, a region where the liquid is gravitationally stable and can accumulate, (3) the disk finally solidifies in 103 to 105years. Viscous heating is never balanced by radiative cooling. If the vapor phase is abnormally viscous, due to magneto-rotational instability for instance, most of the disk volatile components are transported to Earth leaving a disk enriched in refractory elements. This opens a way to form a volatile-depleted Moon and would suggest that the missing Moon’s volatiles are buried today into the Earth. The disk cooling timescale may be long enough to allow for planet/disk isotopic equilibration. However large uncertainties on the disk physics remain because of the complexity of its multi-phased structure.

Two-fluid model for simulation of supersonic flow of wet steam within high-pressure nozzles

This study presents a numerical simulation of supersonic flow of wet steam within high-pressure nozzles with a non-equilibrium phase change. The simulation based on two-fluid model is carried out to predict the flow characteristics of fluid within high-pressure nozzles by in-house CFD code. The model solves two separate flow governing equations for the compressible, viscous and turbulent vapor and liquid phases. The homogeneous condensation model is applied for modeling the liquid phase formation. Quantitative validation of the numerical model with two high-pressure nozzles was accomplished. The validation of the in-house CFD code proves its usefulness for modeling the steam condensing flows within high-pressure nozzles which are very practical in desalination industry and vapor turbines.

Characteristics of stratified laminar flows in inclined pipes

Exact solutions for laminar stratified flows in inclined pipes are presented. These include all possible configurations of stratified flows with concave and convex interfaces. The exact solution is used to study the effect of the flow geometry and pipe inclination on the holdup and pressure gradient. In particular, the possibility of reducing the pressure gradient of a viscous fluid in upward inclined flows by adding a lubricating phase is investigated. It is shown that independently of the density of the lubricant, namely, whether it is lighter or heavier than the viscous fluid, the effect of hydrostatic pressure gradient always adversely affects the possibility to reduce the pumping requirement for the flow of the viscous phase. In addition, the countercurrent flow limits and the boundaries of the multiple solution regions in concurrent inclined flow are identified and discussed. The susceptibility of the system to the Ledinegg instability when using separate pumps for each of the fluids is also examined.

Influence of particle-phase state on the hygroscopic behavior of mixed organic–inorganic aerosols

Abstract. Recent work has demonstrated that organic and mixed organic–inorganic particles can exhibit multiple phase states depending on their chemical composition and on ambient conditions such as relative humidity (RH). To explore the extent to which water uptake varies with particle-phase behavior, hygroscopic growth factors (HGFs) of nine laboratory-generated, organic and organic–inorganic aerosol systems with physical states ranging from well-mixed liquids to phase-separated particles to viscous liquids or semi-solids were measured with the Differential Aerosol Sizing and Hygroscopicity Spectrometer Probe at RH values ranging from 40 to 90%. Water-uptake measurements were accompanied by HGF and RH-dependent thermodynamic equilibrium calculations using the Aerosol Inorganic-Organic Mixtures Functional groups Activity Coefficients (AIOMFAC) model. In addition, AIOMFAC-predicted growth curves are compared to several simplified HGF modeling approaches: (1) representing particles as ideal, well-mixed liquids; (2) forcing a single phase but accounting for non-ideal interactions through activity coefficient calculations; and (3) a Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson-like calculation in which complete separation of the inorganic and organic components is assumed at all RH values, with water uptake treated separately in each of the individual phases. We observed variability in the characteristics of measured hygroscopic growth curves across aerosol systems with differing phase behaviors, with growth curves approaching smoother, more continuous water uptake with decreasing prevalence of liquid–liquid phase separation and increasing oxygen : carbon ratios of the organic aerosol components. We also observed indirect evidence for the dehydration-induced formation of highly viscous semi-solid phases and for kinetic limitations to the crystallization of ammonium sulfate at low RH for sucrose-containing particles. AIOMFAC-predicted growth curves are generally in good agreement with the HGF measurements. The performances of the simplified modeling approaches, however, differ for particles with differing phase states. This suggests that no single simplified modeling approach can be used to capture the water-uptake behavior for the diversity of particle-phase behavior expected in the atmosphere. Errors in HGFs calculated with the simplified models are of sufficient magnitude to produce substantial errors in estimates of particle optical and radiative properties, particularly for the assumption that water uptake is driven by absorptive equilibrium partitioning with ideal particle-phase mixing.

An in situ gelling liquid crystalline system based on monoglycerides and polyethylenimine for local delivery of siRNAs

The development of delivery systems able to complex and release siRNA into the cytosol is essential for therapeutic use of siRNA. Among the delivery systems, local delivery has advantages over systemic administration. In this study, we developed and characterized non-viral carriers to deliver siRNA locally, based on polyethylenimine (PEI) as gene carrier, and a self-assembling drug delivery system that forms a gel in situ. Liquid crystalline formulations composed of monoglycerides (MO), PEI, propylene glycol (PG) and 0.1M Tris buffer pH 6.5 were developed and characterized by polarized light microscopy, Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), for their ability to form inverted type liquid crystalline phases (LC2) in contact with excess water, water absorption capacity, ability to complex with siRNA and siRNA release. In addition, gel formation in vivo was determined by subcutaneous injection of the formulations in mice. In water excess, precursor fluid formulations rapidly transformed into a viscous liquid crystalline phase. The presence of PEI influences the liquid crystalline structure of the LC2 formed and was crucial for complexing siRNA. The siRNA was released from the crystalline phase complexed with PEI. The release rate was dependent on the rate of water uptake. The formulation containing MO/PEI/PG/Tris buffer at 7.85:0.65:76.5:15 (w/w/w/w) complexed with 10μM of siRNA, characterized as a mixture of cubic phase (diamond-type) and inverted hexagonal phase (after contact with excess water), showed sustained release for 7days in vitro. In mice, in situ gel formation occurred after subcutaneous injection of the formulations, and the gels were degraded in 30days. Initially a mild inflammatory process occurred in the tissue surrounding the gel; but after 14days the tissue appeared normal. Taken together, this work demonstrates the rational development of an in situ gelling formulation for local release of siRNA.

The Secondary Organic Aerosol Processor (SOAP v1.0) model: a unified model with different ranges of complexity based on the molecular surrogate approach

Abstract. In this paper the Secondary Organic Aerosol Processor (SOAP v1.0) model is presented. This model determines the partitioning of organic compounds between the gas and particle phases. It is designed to be modular with different user options depending on the computation time and the complexity required by the user. This model is based on the molecular surrogate approach, in which each surrogate compound is associated with a molecular structure to estimate some properties and parameters (hygroscopicity, absorption into the aqueous phase of particles, activity coefficients and phase separation). Each surrogate can be hydrophilic (condenses only into the aqueous phase of particles), hydrophobic (condenses only into the organic phases of particles) or both (condenses into both the aqueous and the organic phases of particles). Activity coefficients are computed with the UNIFAC (UNIversal Functional group Activity Coefficient; Fredenslund et al., 1975) thermodynamic model for short-range interactions and with the Aerosol Inorganic–Organic Mixtures Functional groups Activity Coefficients (AIOMFAC) parameterization for medium- and long-range interactions between electrolytes and organic compounds. Phase separation is determined by Gibbs energy minimization. The user can choose between an equilibrium representation and a dynamic representation of organic aerosols (OAs). In the equilibrium representation, compounds in the particle phase are assumed to be at equilibrium with the gas phase. However, recent studies show that the organic aerosol is not at equilibrium with the gas phase because the organic phases could be semi-solid (very viscous liquid phase). The condensation–evaporation of organic compounds could then be limited by the diffusion in the organic phases due to the high viscosity. An implicit dynamic representation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) is available in SOAP with OAs divided into layers, the first layer being at the center of the particle (slowly reaches equilibrium) and the final layer being near the interface with the gas phase (quickly reaches equilibrium). Although this dynamic implicit representation is a simplified approach to model condensation–evaporation with a low number of layers and short CPU (central processing unit) time, it shows good agreements with an explicit representation of condensation–evaporation (no significant differences after a few hours of condensation).

Densification behavior and microstructure evolution of hot-pressed SiC–SiBCN ceramics

Densification behavior and microstructure evolution of hot-pressed SiC–SiBCN ceramics were studied between 1660°C and 1830°C. Polyborosilazane was chosen as the SiBCN precursor and pyrolyzed at 1000°C in inert atmosphere before use. Samples with SiBCN contents of 10% and 20% in weight were prepared. During the sintering, at temperatures <1660°C, the density of all the samples showed a minor increase because of solid state particles rearrangement. Above 1660°C, the density increased rapidly because of the grain boundary sliding with a non-Newtonian viscous boundary phase. After grain boundary sliding, grain-boundary diffusion enhanced by B and C elements from the SiBCN material was responsible for the further densification. The microstructure of the samples hot pressed at 1660°C appeared particle packing state. The two samples can achieve almost full density when they were hot pressed at 1830°C/40MPa for 90min.

Water-in-oil emulsification in a microfluidic impinging flow at high capillary numbers

The formation of water-in-oil disperse flows is investigated in a microfluidic device. The liquid–liquid flow mainly differs from these presented in the existing literature in its high capillary number (between 3 and 14). The pressure-driven high flow rate, the viscous oily continuous phase, and the head-on impinging flow contribute to oppose a maximal shear force to the interfacial tension. Interfacial tension effects are significant at scales smaller than the capillary length within microfluidic devices, but not dominant in the present work. Moreover, the impinging channel is designed to deliver a low water fraction. As a result, the obtained water-in-oil emulsion is finely dispersed. A channel geometry is selected among three different items, with a physical explanation of its observed finer emulsification. In comparison with experimental data, two complementary approaches are used to model the Ohnesorge number from fluids and flow parameters. Finally, an in situ optical diagnostic using polarized laser light provides a precise knowledge of the emulsifying area and the overall flow pattern within the microchannel.

Impact of maltene and asphaltene fraction on mechanical behavior and microstructure of bitumen

As a widely accepted concept, bitumen consists of four fractions that can be distinguished by their polarity. Highly polar asphaltene micelles are dispersed in a viscous phase of saturates, aromatics and resins (maltene phase). Different concentrations of asphaltenes in the bitumen result in a range of mechanical response properties. In an interdisciplinary study the impact of the maltene phase and asphaltenes on the linear viscoelastic behavior and the microstructure of bitumen were analyzed by creep recovery testing in a DSR and by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Therefore, bitumen was separated into the maltene and asphaltene fractions and artificial bitumen samples with different, pre-defined asphaltene concentrations were produced and investigated. It was found that the artificially produced, precipitated bitumen samples can be regarded as a representative, bitumen-like material in terms of mechanical behavior and microstructure. Asphaltenes play an important role in the typical viscoelastic behavior of bitumen being mainly responsible for stiffness and elasticity. Also, their concentration appears to be correlated to the occurrence and shape of the bee-like inclusions which can be typically observed by AFM.