Asphalt
Photos by Harris Digital Productions
Asphalt is a sticky, brownish-black substance used commonly in road making, roofing, and waterproofing. Chemically, it is a natural mixture of hydrocarbons. It varies in consistency from a solid to a semisolid, has great tenacity, melts when heated, and when ignited will burn with a smoky flame leaving very little or no ash. It is found in nature in deposits called asphalt lakes. Asphalt is obtained as a residue in the distillation or refining of petroleum. It also occurs in asphalt rock, a natural mixture of asphalt with sand and limestone, which when crushed is used as road-building material. Asphalt is also used in the manufacture of paints and varnishes, giving an intensely black color.
Asphalt being carefully removed from the top of the viewing platform
Close-up of the asphalt being carefully removed
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Last updated:
29 November, 2008