Macadamising is a form of road surfacing introduced to Britain by John McAdam, in 1816. The process involves covering the road surface with small, broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard, convex surface - the surface being convex so as to allow water to run off to the sides. Today the stones are mixed with molten asphalt and compressed by a roller. Research Macadamising
Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jean Mortenson) was an American actress. She was born in 1926 and died in 1962. A former photographer's model, through her blonde beauty, she was exploited in a number of minor film roles beginning in 1948. She showed promise as a comedian in bit roles in 'The Asphalt Jungle' and ' All About Eve'. Her first starring role was in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. Research Marilyn Monroe
A briquette is a mass of fuel in the shape of a brick, or a small ovoid, consisting mainly of coal-dust and some binding material, such as pitch, tar or asphalt. The materials are pressed together, heated and then pressed in moulds. Briquettes are useful as a domestic fuel as they burn slowly, but have the drawback of not producing as much heat as good coal and leaving a lot of ash. Research Briquette
Brunswick Black is a hard, quick drying bituminous varnish or pigment composed of asphalt or pitch, linseed oil and turpentine used to give a glossy appearance to metal and other articles. Brunswick Black has a fair degree of heat resistance and was formerly used for stoves. Research Brunswick Black
Carbon is a non-metallic, chiefly trivalent element found native (as in diamond and graphite) or as a constituent of coal, petroleum, and asphalt, of limestone and other bicarbonates, and of organic compounds or obtained artificially in varying degrees of purity especially as carbon black, lampblack, activated charcoal and coke. It has the symbol C and is contained in all life forms.
The diamond is the purest form of carbon; in the different varieties of charcoal, in coal, anthracite, etc, it is more or less mixed with other substances. Pure charcoal is a black, brittle, light, and inodorous substance. It is usually the remains of some vegetable body from which all the volatile matter has been expelled by heat; but it may be obtained from most organic matters, animal as well as vegetable, by ignition in close vessels. Carbon, being one of those elements which exist in various distinct forms, is an example of what is called allotropy. The compounds of this element are more numerous than those of all the other elements taken together. With hydrogen especially it forms a very large number of compounds, called hydrocarbons, some of which have latterly become of the greatest economic importance. With oxygen carbon forms only two compounds, but union between the two elements is easily effected. Research Carbon
Asphalt or Asphaltum is the most common variety of bitumen. It is also called mineral pitch. Asphalt is a compact, glossy, brittle, black or brown mineral, which breaks with a polished fracture, melts easily with a strong pitchy odour when heated, and when pure burns without leaving any ashes. It is found in the earth in many parts of Asia, Europe, and America, and in a soft or liquid state on the surface of the Dead Sea, which from this circumstance was called Asphaltites. It is of organic origin, the asphalt of the great Pitch Lake of Trinidad being derived from bituminous shales, containing vegetable remains in the process of transformation. Asphalt is produced artificially in making coal-gas. During the process much tarry matter is evolved and collected in retorts. If this be distilled, naphtha and other volatile matters escape, and asphalt is left behind. It is sometimes called Jew's Pitch. Research Asphalt
Asphalte Rock or asphalt rock, is a limestone impregnated with bitumen, found in large quantities in various localities in Europe, as in the Yal de Travers, Neufchatel, Switzerland; in the department of Ain in France; in Alsace, Hanover, Holstein, Sicily, etc. These rocks contain a variable quantity of bitumen (from 7 or 8 to 20 or 30 per cent) naturally diffused through them. The Yal de Traversasphalt was discovered in 1710. In 1837 an English patent was taken out for its application to roads, pavements, terraces, areas, roofs, etc. Since then other asphalte-rocks, as well as artificial preparations made by mixing bitumen, gas-tar, pitch, or other materials, with sand, chalk, etc, have been brought into competition with it. Research Asphalte Rock
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Brunswick Black
