Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Bitumen shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Bitumen offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Bitumen at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Bitumen? Wrong! If the Bitumen is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Bitumen then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Bitumen? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Bitumen and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Bitumen wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Bitumen then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Bitumen site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Bitumen, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Bitumen, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
from Iran, dated 1180-1210CE. Composed of brass worked in Repoussé and chasing and inlaid with silver and bitumen. NY Metropolitan Museum.|100px
Bitumen is a mixture of organic compounds
liquids that are highly viscous, black, sticky, entirely soluble in
carbon disulfide, and composed primarily of highly condensed
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Bitumen is the residual (bottom) fraction obtained by
fractional distillation of crude oil. It is the heaviest fraction and the one with the highest boiling point, boiling at 525 degrees Celsius.
In British English, the word 'asphalt' refers to a mixture of mineral aggregate and bitumen (or tarmac in common parlance). The word 'tar' refers to the black viscous material obtained from the destructive distillation of
coal and is chemically distinct from bitumen. In American English, bitumen is referred to as 'asphalt' or 'asphalt cement' in engineering jargon. In
Australian English, bitumen is sometimes used as the generic term for road surfaces.
Most bitumens contain sulphur and several heavy metals such as
nickel, vanadium,
lead, chromium,
mercury (element) and also
arsenic, selenium, and other toxic elements. Bitumens can provide good preservation of plants and animal fossils.
Uses
Pitch drop experiment, demonstrating the
viscosity of bitumen.Bitumen is primarily used for paving roads. Its other uses are for general waterproofing products, including the use of bitumen in the production of
roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs. It is also the prime feed stock for petroleum production from
tar sands currently under development in Alberta, Canada. Bitumen from tar sands is projected to account for 80% of Canadian oil production by 2020.
In the past, bitumen was used to waterproof
boats, and even as a coating for buildings. The Greek historian
Herodotus said hot bitumen was used as mortar in the walls of Babylon. Herodotus, Book I, 179 It is also possible that the city of
Carthage was easily burnt due to extensive use of bitumen in construction.
Vessels for the heating of bitumen or bituminous compounds are usually excluded from public liability insurance policies.
Most geologists believe that naturally occurring deposits of bitumen are formed from the remains of ancient, microscopic algae and other once-living things. These organisms died and their remains were deposited in the mud on the bottom of the ocean or lake where they lived. Under the heat and
pressure of burial deep in the earth, the remains were transformed into materials such as bitumen,
kerogen, or
petroleum.Bitumens are found also in meteorites, archean rocks, copper, zinc mineralizations, and caves. It is possible that bitumens are primordial material formed during accretion of the earth and reworked by bacteria that consume hydrocarbons.
Bitumen was also used in early photography technology. It was most notably used by French scientist Joseph Nicephore Nipce in the first picture ever taken. The bitumen used in his experiments were smeared on pweter plates and then exposed to light thus making a black and white image.
Bitumen alternatives
The world has become increasingly concerned over the global climate change thought to be caused by
greenhouse gases, chief among them anthropogenic carbon dioxide which is released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. This has led to the introduction of bitumen alternatives that are more environmentally friendly and non toxic. Bitumen can now be made from non-petroleum based renewable resources such as sugar,
molasses and rice, corn and potato starches. Bitumen can also be made from waste material by fractional distillation of used motor oils, which is sometimes disposed by burning or dumping into land fills .
Non-petroleum based bitumen binders can be made light-colored. Roads made with lighter-colored pitch absorb less heat from solar radiation, and become less hot than darker surfaces, reducing their contribution to the
urban heat island effect.
Notes
See also
External links
- United Nations Environment Program
- Heat island effect
- Merchants of bitumen - Oilsands Review
from
Iran, dated 1180-1210CE. Composed of brass worked in Repoussé and chasing and inlaid with silver and bitumen. NY Metropolitan Museum.|100px
Bitumen is a mixture of
organic compounds liquids that are highly
viscous, black, sticky, entirely soluble in
carbon disulfide, and composed primarily of highly condensed
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Bitumen is the residual (bottom) fraction obtained by fractional distillation of
crude oil. It is the heaviest fraction and the one with the highest boiling point, boiling at 525 degrees Celsius.
In British English, the word 'asphalt' refers to a mixture of mineral aggregate and bitumen (or tarmac in common parlance). The word 'tar' refers to the black viscous material obtained from the destructive distillation of coal and is chemically distinct from bitumen. In American English, bitumen is referred to as 'asphalt' or 'asphalt cement' in
engineering jargon. In
Australian English, bitumen is sometimes used as the generic term for road surfaces.
Most bitumens contain sulphur and several heavy metals such as
nickel,
vanadium,
lead, chromium, mercury (element) and also arsenic, selenium, and other toxic elements. Bitumens can provide good preservation of plants and animal fossils.
Uses
Pitch drop experiment, demonstrating the
viscosity of bitumen.Bitumen is primarily used for paving roads. Its other uses are for general waterproofing products, including the use of bitumen in the production of
roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs. It is also the prime feed stock for petroleum production from tar sands currently under development in Alberta, Canada. Bitumen from tar sands is projected to account for 80% of Canadian oil production by 2020.
In the past, bitumen was used to waterproof boats, and even as a coating for buildings. The Greek historian
Herodotus said hot bitumen was used as mortar in the walls of
Babylon. Herodotus, Book I, 179 It is also possible that the city of
Carthage was easily burnt due to extensive use of bitumen in construction.
Vessels for the heating of bitumen or bituminous compounds are usually excluded from public liability insurance policies.
Most geologists believe that naturally occurring deposits of bitumen are formed from the remains of ancient, microscopic algae and other once-living things. These organisms died and their remains were deposited in the mud on the bottom of the ocean or lake where they lived. Under the heat and pressure of burial deep in the earth, the remains were transformed into materials such as bitumen,
kerogen, or
petroleum.Bitumens are found also in meteorites, archean rocks, copper, zinc mineralizations, and caves. It is possible that bitumens are primordial material formed during accretion of the earth and reworked by bacteria that consume hydrocarbons.
Bitumen was also used in early photography technology. It was most notably used by French scientist Joseph Nicephore Nipce in the first picture ever taken. The bitumen used in his experiments were smeared on pweter plates and then exposed to light thus making a black and white image.
Bitumen alternatives
The world has become increasingly concerned over the global climate change thought to be caused by greenhouse gases, chief among them anthropogenic
carbon dioxide which is released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. This has led to the introduction of bitumen alternatives that are more environmentally friendly and non toxic. Bitumen can now be made from non-petroleum based renewable resources such as sugar, molasses and rice, corn and potato starches. Bitumen can also be made from waste material by
fractional distillation of used motor oils, which is sometimes disposed by burning or dumping into land fills .
Non-petroleum based bitumen binders can be made light-colored. Roads made with lighter-colored pitch absorb less heat from solar radiation, and become less hot than darker surfaces, reducing their contribution to the
urban heat island effect.
Notes
See also
External links
- United Nations Environment Program
- Heat island effect
- Merchants of bitumen - Oilsands Review
