Trinidad Lake Asphalt

Trinidad Lake Asphalt is a natural product from the famous Asphalt or Pitch Lake located in Trinidad, West Indie
Trinidad Lake Asphalt is a natural product from the famous Asphalt or Pitch Lake located in Trinidad, West Indies. It is perhaps the largest natural asphalt deposit in the world. It began to be of commercial importance about the middle of the nineteenth century and has been worked actively since the first lease in 1888. Its use has extended to all parts of the world for road and airport runway paving with some use in specialized industrial applications.
Trinidad Lake Asphalt, in its crude form is more accurately referred to as Trinidad Natural Asphalt but is also known by the terms Dried Asphalt (DA), Epure and Pitch. Trinidad Natural Asphalt is a complex emulsion of water, gas, bitumen and mineral matter.

TLA COMPOSITION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Trinidad Lake Asphalt consists of a mixture of Bitumen and Minerals broken down as follows :
Soluble Bitumen. - 53 - 55 %
Mineral Matter - 36 % - 37 %
Other - 9 % - 10 %
The Bitumen component is made up of:
Maltenes - 63 - 66 %
Asphaltenes : 33 - 37 %
Acid Value: 6.9 %
Saponification Value: 40.0 %