Why bitumen is used nowadays instead of coal tar ?
Bitumen Provides better grip to the tires of the automobiles while coal tar (damar) is not so effective and coal tar also gets heated up very easily and tires get weared out due to heating.
Difference between Bitumen and Coal Tar
Bitumen :-
. It is obtained by fractional distillation of Crude Petroleum (in the presence of air) and it is the last stage end product (which is having maximum waste characteristic in this processing) as LPG-Gasoline-Petrol-Kerosene-Diesel-Lubricant Oil-Wax-Bitumen.
. It is widely used in Road construction and also used for Priming .
. It have less affinity to water. Also it is have less temperature susceptibility.
. It have less free carbon content and it have more workability.
Coal Tar :-
. It is obtained by destructive distillation of Coal and Wood (in the absence of air).
. Earlier is was used as a Seal-Cot over pavements i.e. in Road Construction but because of several Research Papers it is found that it is harmful for using as a Road Construction material (it has Human Carcinogenic PAH’s) but however it is used in few States of Central and Southern America, in spite of being banned in other states.
So it is widely used in medicinal applications and Steel Manufacturing, which shows it’s great importance.
. It have more affinity to water. It has more temperature susceptibility.
. It have more free carbon content and less workablity due to high viscosity.