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

Water escaping from the wood during the drying process creates stresses that lead to cracking. The most affected area 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 stresses that arise from this process lead to cracking. These do not only occur during natural drying in the stack or in dryers, 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 will say, how is wood moisture not the same everywhere? No, because it depends on the humidity of the environment, and a balance is established between the two. If the balance is disturbed 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 the ideal moisture content.

That is why the ends of planks, beams and semi-finished wood products need to be protected during drying, storage or transportation, thus reducing losses. The most commonly used material for protection is paraffin. TIZSAWAX, the paraffin in emulsion form produced by BOMUL® and distributed by Szolvegy Vegypari in Târgu Mureș, is very suitable for protecting both logs and hardwood lumber and semi-finished products. Szolvegy Vegypari is best known for commercializing 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 the food through the vessels of the tree, and bound water is part of the tree's structure. When the tree is cut, it is the free water that comes out first. The more of it there is, the faster it will come out, and the greater the stresses in the wood. It is therefore recommended that trees should be felled outside the growing season (November-January), when the water content in the pots is lowest.

Water naturally drains out of the cut tree until it reaches a moisture content of 30%, establishing a balance with the environment. But at this moisture the wood cannot be used because it is not stabilized, and high stagnant moisture in the wood can lead to decay, so the drying process begins. During the process the wood also loses some of the bound water, reaching a new equilibrium. In order for the water to escape more quickly, the trunk is sawn into planks and peeled. The sawing reduces some of the stresses that occur in the trunk, but the stresses that occur by increasing the surface area of the water outflow put stress on the grain ends, and cracks appear. In hardwoods (oak, beech, acacia) the tendency to splitting is greater and the cracks larger. The bark of the tree also acts as a regulator of water runoff, which is why some people choose not to peel the trunk. But there is a risk that insects under the bark can enter the wood and compromise it.

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

TISZAWAX paraffin solution

TISZAWAXThe solution proposed by Szolvegy is a paraffin emulsion. Paraffin is a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons obtained from the processing of petroleum. It was discovered in 1830 and at that time it replaced the tallow used for burning in a lamp or opacifier, because it burned much cleaner and without interruption (the water in the tallow sometimes extinguished the flame). Gradually, paraffin wax was processed to increase its softening temperature and for purification, and came to be used in the textile and paper industries, in electrical conductors, in cosmetics and even to protect fruit and vegetables against dehydration in warehouses or during transportation.

TISZAWAX paraffin emulsion is an aqueous wood protection solution. It is used for the protection of wood in dryers as well as for the protection of 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 colored on customer request. Spray consumption is 0.7 kg/m².

TISZAWAX liquid paraffin is successfully used to protect the ends of logs, sawn timber, beams and other semi-finished wood products. These need to be protected, both during drying and during storage or transportation, thus reducing losses. The emulsion is very effective, protecting hardwood very well. It can also be used to protect veneer logs or other high quality semi-finished products. TISZAWAX forms a paraffin film on the surface of the wood, which causes uniform evaporation of water from the wood mass.

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

We used to say that wood works. Even when it's in furniture form and protected with varnish, you still hear pops when you open windows in winter or close drawers harder during rainy spring or fall. As I said above, wood is in equilibrium with its environment, and when the humidity of the environment changes, the wood also changes its humidity, expanding or contracting. Even more so, semi-finished wood is subject to a moisture exchange with the environment, and in this case, if the wood does not have protected fiber ends (where they have been cut in the sawing process), cracks will occur.

Lumber that is stored for a longer period and lumber that is being 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 planks and, consequently, the risk of loss of wood. In particular, it is essential to protect the ends of sawn timber transported by sea or arriving in regions with large differences in humidity compared to the area of departure.

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