Main Difference
The main difference between Tar and Asphalt is that the Tar is a substance and Asphalt is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum; bitumen variety.
Tar vs. Asphalt
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Tar
Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. Production and trade in pine-derived tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden sailing vessels against rot. The largest user was the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. Demand for tar declined with the advent of iron and steel ships.
Tar-like products can also be produced from other forms of organic matter, such as peat. Mineral products resembling tar can be produced from fossil hydrocarbons, such as petroleum. Coal tar is produced from coal as a byproduct of coke production.
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Asphalt
Asphalt (), also known as bitumen (UK English: , US English: ) is a sticky, black, and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term asphaltum was also used. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek ἄσφαλτος ásphaltos.
The primary use (70%) of asphalt is in road construction, where it is used as the glue or binder mixed with aggregate particles to create asphalt concrete. Its other main uses are for bituminous waterproofing products, including production of roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs.
The terms "asphalt" and "bitumen" are often used interchangeably to mean both natural and manufactured forms of the substance. In American English, "asphalt" (or "asphalt cement") is commonly used for a refined residue from the distillation process of selected crude oils. Outside the United States, the product is often called "bitumen", and geologists worldwide often prefer the term for the naturally occurring variety. Common colloquial usage often refers to various forms of asphalt as "tar", as in the name of the La Brea Tar Pits.
Naturally occurring asphalt is sometimes specified by the term "crude bitumen". Its viscosity is similar to that of cold molasses while the material obtained from the fractional distillation of crude oil boiling at 525 °C (977 °F) is sometimes referred to as "refined bitumen". The Canadian province of Alberta has most of the world's reserves of natural asphalt in the Athabasca oil sands, which cover 142,000 square kilometres (55,000 sq mi), an area larger than England.
Wikipedia
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Tar (noun)
A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons derived from organic materials such as wood, peat, or coal.
Tar (noun)
Coal tar.
Tar (noun)
A solid residual byproduct of tobacco smoke.
Tar (noun)
A sailor, because of their tarpaulin clothes. Also Jack Tar.
Tar (noun)
Black tar, a form of heroin.
Tar (noun)
A program for archiving files, common on Unix.
Tar (noun)
A file produced by such a program.
Tar (noun)
A Persian long-necked, waisted instrument, shared by many cultures and countries in the Middle East and the Caucasus.
Tar (noun)
A single-headed round frame drum originating in North Africa and the Middle East.
Tar (verb)
To coat with tar.
Tar (verb)
To besmirch.
"The allegations tarred his name, even though he was found innocent."
Tar (verb)
To create a tar archive.
Asphalt (noun)
A sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid, composed almost entirely of bitumen, that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits.
Asphalt (noun)
asphalt concrete, a hard ground covering used for roads and walkways.
Asphalt (verb)
To pave with asphalt.
Wiktionary
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Tar (noun)
a dark, thick flammable liquid distilled from wood or coal, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, alcohols, and other compounds. It is used in road-making and for coating and preserving timber.
Tar (noun)
a substance resembling tar, formed by burning tobacco or other material
"high-tar cigarettes"
Tar (noun)
a sailor.
Tar (verb)
cover (something) with tar
"a newly tarred road"
Asphalt (noun)
a mixture of dark bituminous pitch with sand or gravel, used for surfacing roads, flooring, roofing, etc.
Asphalt (noun)
the pitch used in asphalt, sometimes found in natural deposits but usually made by the distillation of crude oil.
Asphalt (verb)
surface with asphalt.
Oxford Dictionary
Tar (noun)
A sailor; a seaman.
Tar (noun)
A thick, black, viscous liquid obtained by the distillation of wood, coal, etc., and having a varied composition according to the temperature and material employed in obtaining it.
Tar
To smear with tar, or as with tar; as, to tar ropes; to tar cloth.
Asphalt (noun)
Mineral pitch, Jews' pitch, or compact native bitumen. It is brittle, of a black or brown color and high luster on a surface of fracture; it melts and burns when heated, leaving no residue. It occurs on the surface and shores of the Dead Sea, which is therefore called Asphaltites, or the Asphaltic Lake. It is found also in many parts of Asia, Europe, and America. See Bitumen.
Asphalt (noun)
A composition of bitumen, pitch, lime, and gravel, used for forming pavements, and as a water-proof cement for bridges, roofs, etc.; asphaltic cement. Artificial asphalt is prepared from coal tar, lime, sand, etc.
Asphalt
To cover with asphalt; as, to asphalt a roof; asphalted streets.
Webster Dictionary
Tar (noun)
any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
Tar (noun)
a man who serves as a sailor
Tar (verb)
coat with tar;
"tar the roof"
"tar the roads"
Asphalt (noun)
mixed asphalt and crushed gravel or sand; used especially for paving but also for roofing
Asphalt (noun)
a dark bituminous substance found in natural beds and as residue from petroleum distillation; consists mainly of hydrocarbons
Asphalt (verb)
cover with tar or asphalt;
"asphalt the driveway"
Princeton's WordNet
Tar Illustrations
Asphalt Illustrations
