Assessing the Chemical and Physical Properties of Agbabu and Loda Bitumen for Industrial Purposes

The chemical characteristics of bitumen significantly influence its industrial applications and physical properties, particularly for road construction. Vast deposits of bitumen in Agbabu and Loda, located in Odigbo and Irele areas of Ondo State, Nigeria, remain largely unexploited. This study evaluated the chemical constituents of these local bitumen samples compared with imported bitumen from Reynolds Construction Company (RCC). The concentrations of sulphate (mg/g) were 252.30 ± 0.01, 172.10 ± 0.02, and 167.50 ± 0.01 for Agbabu, Loda, and RCC bitumen respectively. Sulphide content (mg/g) measured 186.80 ± 0.01, 180.40 ± 0.01, and 178.80 ± 0.01, while nitrogen content (g/100g) was 2.10 ± 0.01, 3.06 ± 0.02, and 5.07 ± 0.01 for the same samples. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) levels were determined using Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) with a Varian Chromapack Saturn 2000. TPH concentrations (mg/kg) were highest in Loda (271,271.00), followed by Agbabu (224,622.00), and lowest in RCC bitumen (91,479.00). PAH concentrations (mg/kg) were 2,941.00 for Agbabu, 500.00 for Loda, and 166.6 for RCC bitumen. These results indicate that Agbabu bitumen possesses the highest PAH content, while Loda bitumen shows the highest TPH concentration. The chemical profile suggests significant variation in the constituents of bitumen from different sources, highlighting their potential implications for industrial utilization and environmental impact.