Crude bitumen is a thick, sticky, tar like form of petroleum that must be heated or diluted before it will flow. At room temperature, it is much like cold molasses. Refined bitumen is the residual bottom fraction obtained through the fractional distillation of crude oil. It is the heaviest fraction and the one with the highest boiling point, boiling at 5. C 9. 77 F. Given that bitumens are composed of hydrocarbons, they are flammable. For this reason, vessels for the heating of bitumen or bituminous materials are usually subject to specific conditions in public liability insurance policies, similar to those required for blow torches and welding and flame cutting equipment. Geologic origin. Naturally occurring deposits of bitumen were formed from the remains of ancient, microscopic algae and other organisms, after these remains were deposited in the mud on the bottom of the ocean or lake where they lived. It is thought that under the heat and pressure of burial deep in the earth, the remains were transformed into materials such as bitumen, kerogen, or petroleum. Bitumens have also been found in meteorites and Archean rocks. Based on this knowledge, scientists think it possible that some bitumens are primordial material formed during accretion of the Earth and reworked by bacteria that consume hydrocarbons. Bitumens are associated with lead zinc mineralizations in Mississippi Valley type deposits. Worlds largest bitumen deposits. The two largest bitumen deposits in the world are located in Canada and Venezuela. The Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta is the largest bitumen deposit in Canada and the only one accessible to surface mining, although recent technological breakthroughs have resulted in deeper deposits becoming available by in situ methods. In Venezuela, the Orinoco Belt contains huge deposits of oil sands, known as the Orinoco Oil Sands or the Orinoco Tar Sands. The Canadian deposits cover 1. England, giving it the second largest proven oil reserves in the world. This crude bitumen is the prime feedstock for petroleum production from tar sands or oil sands currently under development in Alberta. Carnage And Culture Hanson Pdf Viewer. As of 2. 00. 6, Canadian crude bitumen production averaged about 1. The total amount of crude bitumen in Alberta that could potentially be extracted is estimated to be about 3. This amount, if used at a rate of 4. The Venezuelan oil company Petrleos de Venezuela S. A. 6 has estimated that the producible reserves of the Orinoco Belt are 2. Other estimates goes as high as 3. Uses. Bitumen cannisters for roadwork in Chakdaha, in the state of West Bengal, India. Bitumen is used primarily for paving roads. Its other uses are for bituminous waterproofing products, including the use of bitumen in the production of roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs. Because oil prices have been increasing since 2. In the past, bitumen was used to waterproof boats, and even as a coating for buildings with some additives. The Greek historian Herodotus said hot bitumen was used as mortar in the walls of Babylon. It is also possible that the city of Carthage was easily burnt due to extensive use of bitumen in construction. Bitumen was also used in early photographic technology. It was most notably used by French scientist Joseph Nicphore Nipce in the first picture ever taken. The bitumen used in his experiments was smeared on pewter plates and then exposed to light, thus making a black and white image. Thin bitumen plates are sometimes used by computer enthusiasts for silencing computer cases or noisy computer parts such as the hard drive. Bitumen layers are baked onto the outside of high end dishwashers to provide sound insulation. Bitumen from alternative sources. Bitumen can now be made from non petroleum based renewable resources such as sugar, molasses, and starches from rice, corn and potato. Bitumen can also be made from waste material by fractional distillation of used motor oil, which is otherwise sometimes disposed of by burning or dumping into landfills. Non petroleum based bitumen binders can be made light colored. Roads made with lighter colored pitch absorb less heat from solar radiation. As a result, they do not become as hot as darker surfaces exposed to direct sunlight, reducing their contribution to the urban heat island effect. Bituminous coal. Bituminous coal is a relatively soft coal containing bitumen. It is an organic sedimentary rock formed by the diagenetic and submetamorphic compression of peat bog material. It is usually black, sometimes dark brown, often with well defined bands of bright and dull material. The carbon content of bituminous coal is around 6. The quality of this coal is better than that of lignite but poorer than that of anthracite. Bituminous rocks. Bituminous rocks are sedimentary rockssuch as shale, sandstone, or limestonethat contain traces of tar, bitumen, asphalt, petroleum, or carbon. They are also known as carbonaceous rocks. Types of road. High speed. Access viainterchanges. Autobahn Autocesta Autopista Autoroute Autostrada Autostrasse Auto estrada Freeway Motorway Semi highway HQDCOther access. Arterial road Collectordistributor road Distributor road Divided highway Express collector setup Expressway Farm to market road Highway Link road Parkway Super two Two lane expressway 21 road 22 road. Low speed. Standard. Boulevard Business route Frontage road Regional road Road Single carriageway Street. Low traffic. Alley Cul de sac Driveway Lane Primitive road Range road.