Posted on 09/24/2014 10:32:24 AM PDT by thackney
Pitch is also an older term for bitumen.
world's longest-running laboratory experiment
http://smp.uq.edu.au/content/pitch-drop-experiment
In 1927 Professor Parnell heated a sample of pitch and poured it into a glass funnel with a sealed stem. Three years were allowed for the pitch to settle, and in 1930 the sealed stem was cut. From that date on the pitch has slowly dripped out of the funnel - so slowly that now, 83 years later, the ninth drop is only just fully formed.
Thanks...Flat asphalt roofs are also called bitumen roofs. Also called built up roofs
You probably know this but today’s common shingles are woven fiberglass impregnated with asphalt
Great experiment! Can you imagine what it feat it was in ancient times to build boats. To cut and hew wood planks so closely and seal them with pitch? And no power tools.
And there had to be a pitch making industry ....distilling pine wood. The only difference is today we “mine” oil and distill it into useful products
Long history using bitumen as well to seal boats.
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198406/bitumen.-.a.history.htm
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