Difference Between Bitumen and Tar | What Is Bitumen

What Is Bitumen?

The bitumen is the binding material that is present in asphalt. It also sometimes called mineral tar. It is obtained by partial distillation of crude petroleum.

It is chemically a hydro-carbon. It is insoluble in water, but it completely dissolves in carbon disulfide chloroform, alkalies, alkaline, carbonates, petroleum spirit, and oil of turpentine.

It is found on analysis is composed of 87 percent carbon 11 percent and 2 percent oxygen by weight.

The bitumen is back or brown in colour, and it is obtained is solid or semi-solid or sate. Its applications are the same as the residual asphalt.

Type of Bitumen

Following are the types of Bitumen

Blown Bitumen.
Cutback Bitumen.
Straight Run Bitumen.
Penetration Grade.
Bitumen Emulsion.
Residual Bitumen.

1. Blow Bitumen

Soft bitumen can be modified by heating until it becomes a liquid and then passing air under pressure by which all the volatile compounds in it can be driven out. The product is called blown bitumen.

2. Cutback Bitumen

Bitumen combined with other petroleum distillates forms cutback bitumen. This may be regarded as a means of applying penetration-grade bitumen at lower temperatures.

3. Straight Run Bitumen

When bitumen distilled to a definite viscosity of penetration, which does not require further treatment like heating.

4. Penetration Grade

The basic form of bitumen and has to be heated before application.

5. Bitumen Emulsion

A product in liquid form, formed in aqueous medium and stabilizing agents. This also another means to obtain bitumen into a liquid form so that it can be easily applied at ambient temperature.

6. Residual Bitumen

It consists of bitumen thinner and suitable filler made into a plastic Conn. As it is plastic, it can be used for filling cracks in masonry, stopping leakages, etc.

Use of Bitumen

Here, the different types use of bitumen are as follows.

Bitumen is used for the manufacture of roofing and damp proofing felts.
For sealing accumulators and batteries.
It also used for heat insulation materials for building, refrigeration, and cold storage.

What Is Tar?

Tar is a viscous black liquid made of hydrocarbons that can form in multiple ways. Because of this, the chemical composition of tar varies, though it is always made of organic matter of some sort.

It has many uses as a waterproofing and sealing agent. It is also used for many medicinal purposes.

Classified of Tar

Lis of Different types of tar ara as follows.

Coal Tar.
Mineral Tar.
Wood Tar.

1. Coal Tar:

A heavy, back, and strong-smelling liquid is known as coal tar. In closed iron vessels, the variety of tar is prepared by heating the coal.

The escaping gases are allowed to pass through the tube, which is kept cool by the circulation of water. The coal tax gets deposited in these tubes.

It is usually derived as a byproduct during the manufacture of coal gas. The coal tar is used for making macadam roads, preserving timber, etc.

2. Mineral Tar:

Distillation of bituminous shales gives us mineral tar. It contains less matter.

3. Wood Tar:

Distillation of pipes and resinous wood gives wood tar. In contains, creosote oil which can be obtained by further distillation of wood and hence is possessed stronger preservation property.

However, the wood creosote is not so good as coal tar creosote for the preservation of timber.

Use of Tar

Here, the different types use of tar are as follows.

For coating of sleepers, wooden poles, latrine walls, etc.

Bitumen Vs. Tar

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Sr.No.	Bitumen	Bar
1.	Bitumen Colour Deep dark.	Tar colour Jet black.
2.	Bitumen carbon content is midium (moderate).	Tar Bitumen carbon content is very high.
3.	Bitumen usually solid in state.	Tar viscous liquid sate
4.	Bitumen effect on heating time bitumen is melt.	Here, Tar effect on heating becomes more fluid when heated.
5.	Bitumen setting time very less respect to tar.	Tar setting time is more compared to bitumen.
6.	Bitumen adhesive power is high but not more than tar.	Tar adhesive power is very high compared to bitumen.
7.	Bitumen resistance to acid effect is more compared to tar.	Tar resistance to acid effect is less compared to bitumen.
8.	Bitumen is obtained from fractional distillation of crude oil.	Tar is obtained by destructive distillation of coal or wood.
9.	Molecular weight range for road bitumen is 400 to 5000.	Molecular weight range for road tar is 150 to 3000.
10.	Bitumen consists of large amount of aromatic hydrocarbon.	Tar consist of large amount of oily matter with lower molecular weight.
11.	It shows more resistance to weathering action.	It shows less resistance to weathering action.
12.	Bitumen normally use as damp proof course and as roofing felt.	Tar use for preseving timber.
13.	Less temperature susceptibility.	More temperature susceptibility.
14.	Bitumen has a low degree of toxicity.	Tar has a high degree of toxicity.

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Bitumen vs Tar

The two substances are very similar and sometimes the terms tar and bitumen are used interchangeably. Bitumen can be naturally occurring whereas tar usually has to be artificially distilled. Also, Bitumen occurs in both solid and liquid forms whereas tar is generally always a viscous liquid.

Difference Between Coal Tar and Bitumen

The key difference between coal tar and bitumen is that coal tar is a synthetic substance, whereas bitumen is a naturally occurring substance. Moreover, coal tar is a byproduct in the process of producing coke from coal while bitumen is a byproduct in the fractional distillation of crude oil.

Bitumen Vs Asphalt

Asphalt is a mixture of sand, aggregates, and bitumen. In asphalt, bitumen is used as a binder to hold together the asphalt, therefore asphalt is a concrete mixture whereas bitumen is binder or cement for pavements. It’s also common to have a pavement surface that has been sealed using bitumen only.

Mod Bitumen Roofing

Modified bitumen is thought of as the evolutionary cousin of the built-up roofing systems (BUR) that have been used on low-slope roofs for more than 100 years. It is made of asphalt combined with polymerized rubber or plastic, then reinforced with fiberglass to create a rugged-yet-flexible waterproof membrane.

App Modified Bitumen

APP-modified bitumen is a roofing membrane. Contractors typically apply these membranes to asphalt with a torch. The process looks a little similar to mopping, as the contractor must spread the membrane across all sections of the roof. Once applied, you can choose to leave the roof’s surface smooth or add granules.

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Difference Between Bitumen and Tar | What Is Bitumen | What Is Tar