Tar Paper: paper made with petroleum! Petroleum has been one of most useful natural substances to man since ancient times. The Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians took pure bitumen from vast superficial deposits which they used to waterproof boats, water pipes and roofs. Petroleum, considered a sacred oil by the Egyptians, was one of the substances they used for mummification. It was the Arab alchemists who, eight centuries after the birth of Christ, developed the first techniques for distilling petroleum. Various texts refer from Renaissance times refer to the use of petroleum for medication: it was brushed onto wounds to accelerate healing and rubbed on the skin to alleviate rheumatic pain.
Tar-Paper consists of a mixture of distilled bitumen and polymers and an internal sheet of cardboard. It is an inert material (non-biodegradable) and does not contain toxic or harmful substances as per the European REACH regulation. Due to its particular nature, it is not advisable to place it on delicate surfaces or fabrics. It is produced in Italy by companies with ISO 14001 environmental certification.
