The primary use of the asphalt goes into the construction of the road which

accounts for 70% of the asphalt that is explored.  Here the asphalt is used as
glue and the binder is mixed with the construction aggregate materials in order
to develop the asphalt concrete. Sealing flat roofs, production of roofing felts
and bituminous waterproofing products are the main products that are
developed from asphalt other than concrete. Naturally occurring asphalt
whose viscosity is very similar to that of cold molasses is referred to as “crude
bitumen”. But when the crude oil undergoes fractional distillation where it is
heated at a temperature of  525 °C (977 °F), the asphalt that is generated in
the process is referred to as “refined bitumen”. The widest reserve of natural
asphalt is in the Canadian province of Alberta where asphalt is mostly found in
Athabasca oil sand that covers about 142000 square kilometres which is an
area larger than the geography of England. 
With the change in the temperature, the properties of the asphalt also
changes. It is because the specific range when attained by the asphalt, its
viscosity results in the compaction by providing enough lubrication to the
particles during the process of compaction. When the temperature is low, the
particles of aggregate cannot move swiftly, thus the required density is not
reached. Asphalt plant is responsible for producing asphalt where the plant
could be fixed or it could be a mobile mixture in a plant. It is possible to
produce asphalt in a plant that accounts for almost 800 tonnes per hour. The
average temperature that is required to produce a hot mix of asphalt is
between 150 and 180°C. But the new techniques are developed these days to
produce a mix of asphalt at low temperatures. 

Types of Asphalt
When heated, asphalt materials soften and become elastic under some
conditions. Except when used as a binder or adhesive, asphalt's mechanical
properties are of little importance. The grades of asphalt are as follows:
 Natural Asphalt
 Residual Asphalt
 Mastic Asphalt
 Asphalt Cement
 Cutback Asphalt
 Asphalt Emulsion
Natural Asphalt: 
Lake asphalt and Rock asphalt are two types of natural asphalt. At depths of 3
to 60 metres, lake asphalt can be found as fossil deposits in areas like
Trinidad's lakes. It is made up of 40 to 70 percent pure bitumen with around
30 percent water content.
Residual Asphalt: 
It's made by combining crude petroleum oil with an aspheric base and distilling
it.

Mastic Asphalt: