In early Colonial America's history a barbaric form of punishment was tar and feathering. The person being punished would be covered with hot tar and then rolled in feathers and chased from town. The punishment was intended to humiliate and injure. Although the practice was discontinued, it was used in hate crimes in later generations. Today tar is used to make many products.
Identification
Tar is a heavily thick, oily, sticky, dark brown or black liquid matter. It is actually a by-product of organic substances such as petroleum, wood, coal or peat. Most tar is a by-product of coal. The substance can be difficult to remove when it comes in contact with skin, fur or other materials.
Types
Many types of tar exist. Coal tar or high-temperature coke-oven tar is industrial tar that is a by-product of coal. Coal gasifier tar is another by-product of tar, created during the manufacturing process that converts coal into high energy gas. Wood tar is produced during the destructive distillation of wood while producing charcoal. During this process tar is produced from vapors that are emitted. Oil gas tar and water gas tar are by-products from the petroleum refining process.
Benefits
Coal tar is used to make products such as disinfectants, perfumes, plastics, roofing and water-proofing materials, dyes and synthetic drugs. Wood tar is used to make pine oil, turpentine, methyl alcohol and acetic acid. Oil-gas tar and water-gas tar were once used to pave roads and used in manufacturing wood preservation. Oil-gas tar and water-gas tar are rarely produced today. Coal gasifier tar is one source for organic chemicals.
Warning
Tar pollution and contamination can cause serious environmental problems. Tar on beaches traps waterfowl and animals, and creates health threats. Many beaches are being affected by the tar generated from oil refining and by the polluted water used to move the crude and process it. Many organizations are working to resolve this environmental issue.
Misconceptions
One of the world's most famous sites for fossil deposits is the La Brea Tar Pits, located in the Los Angles Basin in Southern California. More than 1 million bones have been recovered from the site since 1906. Yet, the tar pits are actually asphalt deposits, not tar. When crude oil evaporates over time, deposits of asphalts can be left behind. It is this asphalt, which is the lowest grade of crude oil, that is found at the La Brea Tar Pits.
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