Bitumen is a black-brown, tar-like material used for road paving. It can be found naturally or produced through distillation processes. Its historical uses include waterproofing, building construction, and tool-making. The construction industry uses 85% of bitumen for road paving and 10% for roofing.
Bitumen can refer to a naturally occurring mixture of various organic liquids, also called crude bitumen, or a residue produced in the coal or petroleum distillation process, called refined bitumen. It is a black-brown, extremely viscous, tar-like material that was the first petroleum product used by man due to its adhesive and cohesive properties. Its main contemporary use is in road paving. In North America, it is referred to as asphalt.
Crude bitumen can be found as solid or semi-solid material and consists mainly of hydrocarbons. Its formation can be traced back to the decomposition of organisms deep in the earth’s crust, where they were hit by intense pressure and heat. This process produced materials such as bitumen. Natural deposits can be found all over the world, with the largest in Canada and Venezuela.
Historical uses of bitumen can be traced back 8,000 years to its presence in various Neanderthal tools. Human uses of this material date back to 5000 BC. Its ancient origin can also be found in what is believed to be the source of the name, from the ancient Sanskrit term “jatu” and “jatu-krit”, which respectively mean “pitch” and “create pitch”, a reference to the resin of the trees. intonation.
The use of bitumen varies according to geographical and social contexts; however, it has historically been employed for tasks such as waterproofing, building construction, and composing more complex tools that required some binding element. It was also believed to be used in the mummification process in ancient Egypt, serving as a type of preservative. While this claim has been disputed, the term mummy comes from the Arabic term for bitumen, “mumiye”.
Natural deposits of this substance are too low for current human consumption and demand. Therefore, most are produced through fractional distillation processes. Refined bitumen is made from crude petroleum oils and has been produced this way since the late 19th century. Heating crude oil produces a residue, which is then used to make various grades of bitumen. More recent advances have led to its production from non-oil sources such as corn starches, rice and molasses.
The construction industry uses 85% bitumen to bind asphalt within roads, while 10% is applied for roofing. It has proved to be a valuable material due to its resistance to bad weather.
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