Nelson: The Solid Bitumens , 



(>2:3 



nltlv of P 7 l ed , mmeral lngredient ln 0Ur case con ^^s 

 S^S f f Ch glVe ' With h ^ roch lonc acid, soluble 



chlorides. A glance at the composition of the rock, freed from 

 ^; f explain the reac tion, see page 626. If at some 

 time m the future muriatic acid is produced in the Philippine 

 Islands, particularly if it is obtained as a by-product its use 

 m the treatment of Leyte bituminous rocks will become very 

 advantageous for the recovery of bitumen for road building and 

 other purposes. Treatment with hydrochloric acid would re- 

 duce the freight and the cost of transportation of the bitumen- 

 it would also adapt the bituminous substance, free from most 

 of its inorganic impurities, to various uses for which the crude 

 rock is not fitted. 



Since no method of extracting the bitumen, wholly or partially 

 can be utilized industrially, Leyte bituminous rock can only be 

 used for road surfacing. It therefore requires tests as to its 

 adaptability for this particular purpose only. 



As a matter of fact, the rock we are considering is already 

 successfully used for road building. Mr. G. M. Veloso, treasurer 

 of the Leyte Asphalt and Mineral Oil Company, Cebu, states 

 that the above-named company — 



shipped a total of about 2500 tons of asphalt rock from their quarry 

 which is located about 3 kilometers east of Baliti. Of this amount 1000 

 tens were shipped to Japan and the 1500 tons remaining were used for 

 street paving in Manila, Cebu and Zamboanga. At present [September 19, 

 1922] the Asphalt Company has about 3,800 tons of asphaltic rock on the 

 beach at Baliti ready for shipment to Japan. 



In Japan, the material is used for road building. 



Bituminous compounds used for paving consist of two com- 

 ponents : The mineral aggregate which is the resisting ingredient 

 and the bitumen which acts as a cement for the mineral aggre- 

 gate. The resistance of the pavement to the wear of traffic is 

 entirely dependent upon the mineral aggregate, but the cohe- 

 rency of the latter requires the presence of bitumen in proper 

 amounts and of proper quality. This being the case, it is clear 

 that, in order to determine the adaptability of our rock for use 

 as a paving material and to be able eventually to remedy its de- 

 fects and improve upon the material, it is important to examine 

 qualitatively and quantitatively its two constituents. 



For this purpose, samples of the rock were first separated into 

 bitumen, which was completely extracted by the use of solvents 

 such as benzene and carbon disulphide, and the mineral matter. 

 The penetration of the rock not being homogeneous, the results 



