ETYM Greek, of eastern origin: cf. French asphalte.
1. A dark bituminous substance found in natural beds and as residue from petroleum distillation; consists mainly of hydrocarbons; SYN. mineral pitch.
2. Prepared mixture of bitumin and crushed gravel or sand; used especially for paving roads, but also for roofing.
Mineral mixture containing semisolid brown or black bitumen, used in the construction industry. Asphalt is mixed with rock chips to form paving material, and the purer varieties are used for insulating material and for waterproofing masonry. It can be produced artificially by the distillation of petroleum.
The availability of recycled colored glass led 1988 to the invention of glassphalt, asphalt that is 15% crushed glass. It is used to pave roads in New York.
Considerable natural deposits of asphalt occur around the Dead Sea and in the Philippines, Cuba, Venezuela, and Trinidad. Bituminous limestone occurs at Neufchâtel, France. + prikaži više