12-08-2007, 01:17 AM
Caratacus,
Good old triglycerides. I think that heating the Bitumen and pitch bark would require a higher temperature. I am not sure however as to their melting points. However, taking an organic like ptich bark and trying to melt it may cause decomposition. Asphalt/Bitumen won't really decompose futher but have a high melting point. So to me the only logical deduction was to use the fat as the solvent.
The reduced hydrogen bonding does have an effect on lowering the surface tension (unlike water). However, the long chains on the fatty acid esters do have strong London and or Dispersive forces due to the large instantaneous dipole moments imparted by the large number of carbons. This still makes them have some appreciable viscosity and will not be that fluid.
I cannot find cattle tallow so I think I will use lard (pig fat). I am not sure how different this will be. Maybe any saturated animal fat would work equally well. I will also use asphalt since bitumen is not easy to come by.
The only problem I am having is using this pitch bark. I was thinking of using maple syrup since I read that pitch bark is like sap. Well maple syrup is maple sap. Outside of this, I would have to grind some bark pieces from a tree, use a soxslet extractor with either methanol or ethanol solvent followed by methylene chloride to assure complete extraction. This solution I would rotary evaporate and remove the solvent.
I have to see. Let me know what you think
Paolo
Good old triglycerides. I think that heating the Bitumen and pitch bark would require a higher temperature. I am not sure however as to their melting points. However, taking an organic like ptich bark and trying to melt it may cause decomposition. Asphalt/Bitumen won't really decompose futher but have a high melting point. So to me the only logical deduction was to use the fat as the solvent.
The reduced hydrogen bonding does have an effect on lowering the surface tension (unlike water). However, the long chains on the fatty acid esters do have strong London and or Dispersive forces due to the large instantaneous dipole moments imparted by the large number of carbons. This still makes them have some appreciable viscosity and will not be that fluid.
I cannot find cattle tallow so I think I will use lard (pig fat). I am not sure how different this will be. Maybe any saturated animal fat would work equally well. I will also use asphalt since bitumen is not easy to come by.
The only problem I am having is using this pitch bark. I was thinking of using maple syrup since I read that pitch bark is like sap. Well maple syrup is maple sap. Outside of this, I would have to grind some bark pieces from a tree, use a soxslet extractor with either methanol or ethanol solvent followed by methylene chloride to assure complete extraction. This solution I would rotary evaporate and remove the solvent.
I have to see. Let me know what you think
Paolo
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Paolo
Paolo
