A Study Using Sulfur K-Edge XAS of Bitumens, Asphaltenes, Maltenes and their Oxidation Products by Comparison with Model Compounds

High resolution Sulfur K-edge XANES spectra have been recorded at the ESRF on test samples of bitumen, asphaltene and maltene fractions and various model compounds. All these fractions were found to have a low content of sulfidic species as opposed to thiophenic species and it is therefore not surprising that thermally oxidized samples (RTFOT) had also a low content (1%) of sulfoxides. This is indeed consistent with the absence of any detectable S=O signature in the EXAFS spectra which were recorded over more than 1300 eV using the undulator gap scan technique.