Because of its economical and environmentally friendly characteristics, the warm mix asphalt(WMA) is widely used in pavement engineering. However, the lack of microscopic study of WMA brings difficulties in understanding of its mechanical behavior and mechanisms at macroscopic scale which finally hinders the enhancement of WMA’s performance. Therefore, this article aims to use atomic force microscopy(AFM), a promising microscopic technique, to investigate the effects of wax-based warm mix agents on asphalt microstructures and micromechanical properties at different temperatures. For simplicity’s sake, microcrystalline waxes are selected as an alternative of these wax-based additives. It is shown that the sample preparation method has a vital impact on the morphology of asphalt samples. The effects of microcrystalline wax on asphalt’s mechanical properties can be well captured by AFM tests. Results show that the blending of #70, #80 and #90 microcrystalline waxes lowers the modulus(20—60 MPa) of Pen70 asphalt at 25 ℃ while increasing its adhesion force(5—20 n N). The results of this study may shed some light on the comprehension of the effects of wax-based additives on asphalt materials at macroscopic level which can help estimate and predict its actual performance. Because of its economical and environmentally friendly characteristics, the warm mix asphalt (WMA) is widely used in pavement engineering. However, the lack of microscopic study of WMA brings difficulties in understanding of its mechanical behavior and mechanisms at macroscopic scale which finally hinders the enhancement of WIM’s performance. Thus, this article aims to use atomic force microscopy (AFM), a promising microscopic technique, to investigate the effects of wax-based warm mix agents on asphalt microstructures and micromechanical properties at different temperatures. For simplicity’s sake, microcrystalline waxes are selected as an alternative to these wax-based additives. It shows the the sample preparation method has a vital impact on the morphology of the asphalt samples. The effects of microcrystalline wax on asphalt’s mechanical properties can be well captured by AFM tests. Results show that the blending of # 70, # 80 and # 90 microcrystalline waxes lowers the modulus (20 60 MPa) of Pengrass at 25 ℃ while increasing its adhesion force (5-20 n N). The results of this study may shed some light on the comprehension of the effects of wax-based additives on asphalt materials at macroscopic level which can help estimate and predict its actual performance.