TISZAWAX paraffin protects logs, lumber and wood blanks against split ends

Water escaping from the wood during the drying process creates tensions that lead to cracks. The area most affected is where the wood grain is cut (the ends of the planks), because this is where the water comes out easily, irregularly and in large quantities, and the tensions that arise from this process lead to cracks. These cracks occur not only during natural drying in stacks or kilns, but also after the dried wood has reached the optimum moisture content, which in the geographical area of our country is considered to be 8-12% for wood used indoors and 14-18% for wood used outdoors. You might say, how is the moisture content of wood not the same everywhere? No, because it depends on the humidity of the environment, and a balance is established between the two. If the equilibrium breaks down and the humidity rises or falls in one part, water migrates from one part to the other to restore it. Why am I saying all this? To explain why wood can crack even after it has reached its ideal humidity.

Therefore, the ends of planks, beams and wood-based semi-finished products must be protected during both drying and storage or transport, thus reducing losses. The most commonly used material for protection is paraffin. TIZSAWAX, an emulsion paraffin produced by BOMUL® and distributed by Szolvegy Vegypari in Târgu Mureș, is very suitable for the protection of both logs and hardwood sawn timber and semi-finished products. Szolvegy Vegypari is best known for marketing TISZABOND adhesives.

Wood moisture

There are two kinds of water in wood, free water and bound water. Free water is the water that circulates with food through the tree's pots, and bound water is part of the tree's structure. When the tree is felled, it is the free water that comes out first. The more of it there is, the quicker it will come out, and the greater the tensions in the wood. This is why it is recommended that trees are felled outside the growing season (November-January), when the water content in the pots is lowest.

Water naturally flows out of the felled tree until it reaches a moisture content of 30%, establishing a balance with the environment. But at this moisture content the wood cannot be used because it is not stabilised, and high moisture content stagnating in the wood can lead to rotting, so the drying process begins. During the process the wood also loses some of the bound water, reaching a new equilibrium. So that the water can escape more quickly the log is cut into planks and peeled. The debarking reduces some of the stresses that occur in the trunk, but those that occur by increasing the surface area of the water outlet stress the area of the grain ends and so cracks appear. In hardwoods (oak, beech, acacia) the tendency to crack is greater and the cracks are larger. The bark of the tree also acts as a regulator of water outflow, which is why some choose not to peel the trunk. But there is a risk that insects under the bark will enter the wood and compromise it.

When processing into furniture or other products, the cracked area is removed, which means a loss of wood material for the producer. To avoid this loss, it is recommended to protect the ends of the planks or other blanks and paraffin is a suitable product for this protection.

TISZAWAX paraffin solution

TISZAWAXSzolvegy's proposed solution is a paraffin emulsion. Paraffin is a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons obtained from oil processing. It was discovered in 1830 and at that time replaced the tallow used for burning in lamps or opaques, because it burned much cleaner and without interruptions (the water in the tallow sometimes extinguished the flame). Gradually, paraffin was processed to increase its softening temperature and for purification, and it came to be used in the textile and paper industry, the electrical wiring industry, the cosmetics industry and even to protect fruit and vegetables against dehydration in warehouses or during transport.

TISZAWAX paraffin emulsion is a water-based wood protection solution. It is used for the protection of wood in kilns, wood stored for a longer period of time or wood being transported by land or sea. Because it is liquid, it is easily applied to the ends of wooden planks or beams with a brush or spray gun. The solution has a milky appearance but can be coloured at the customer's request. Spray consumption is 0.7 kg/m².

TISZAWAX Liquid Paraffin is successfully used to protect the ends of logs, timbers, beams and other wooden semi-finished products. These need to be protected, both during drying and during storage or transport, thus reducing losses. The emulsion is very effective in protecting hardwoods. It can also be used to protect veneer logs or other high-quality blanks. TISZAWAX forms a paraffin film on the surface of the wood which causes water to evaporate evenly from the wood.

Why semi-finished products in warehouses or on means of transport must also be protected

We used to say that wood works. Even when it's under furniture and protected with varnish, it still pops when you open the window in winter or close the drawers harder in rainy spring or autumn periods. As I said above, wood is in equilibrium with its environment and when its humidity changes, the wood also changes its humidity, expanding or contracting. Moreover, semi-finished wood is subject to a moisture exchange with the environment, and in this case, if the wood does not have protected grain ends (where these have been cut away in the cutting process), cracks occur.

Lumber that is stored for a longer period and lumber that is transported should be protected at the ends to reduce moisture exchange. This is the way to reduce the risk of cracks at the ends of the boards and therefore the risk of wood loss. Especially for timber transported by sea or timber arriving in regions with large differences in humidity from the departure area, end protection is mandatory.

TISZAWAX liquid paraffin can be ordered from Szolvegy Vegyipari, a company best known for marketing TISZABOND adhesives, PVA adhesives used by many wood, furniture and wooden house companies.