TRINIDAD AND BERMUDEZ ASPHALTS 



3 1 



those which are soluble in light petroleum naphtha, and the remainder 

 which are insoluble, although the percentage will depend to a certain 

 extent on the character of the solvents. The softer or oily portion which 

 is soluble in naphtha is, for 88° naphtha at air temperatures, about 63 

 per cent. The components of Trinidad asphalt and of other bitumens, 

 which are thus soluble, have been denominated by the writer " Mal- 

 thenes/' a name to be applied to this class of hydrocarbons, not as 

 representing any homogeneous entity, but merely descriptive of their 

 general character. The term petrolenes has also been used to cover this 

 same class of material. 



Photo, C. R. Toothaker, Phila. Commercial Museum. 

 Plantation Buildings, Trinidad. 



The hydrocarbons and their derivatives which are insoluble have 

 been called asphaltenes. 



The malthenes of Trinidad asphalt are distinguished by the fact that 

 they are of an extremely sticky and cementitious nature, and not 

 merely oily as is often the case with material of similar consistency 

 prepared from petroleums. The value of any bitumen or combination 

 of bitumens for highway construction depends on the character of the 

 malthenes of which it is composed, and the relative proportion of these 

 to the asphaltenes. Where the former are not present in sufficient 

 amount, it is necessary to add to the asphalt material in which malthenes 

 predominate to attain a proper consistency. This is known as fluxing 

 the asphalt, and in the case of that of Trinidad, owing to the presence 

 of the large amount of malthenes of a sticky nature, it can be accom- 



