Elaboration of a composition based on spent engine oil and wood flour for birch wood impregnation and railway sleepers production

Abstract

The “hot-cold baths” impregnation of birch wood samples by a number of oils (original engine oil, waste motor, spent transmission, spent corn and sunflower oils) were studied in order to choose a base for impregnating composition. Specimens of wood flour from coniferous and hardwood species, oak, birch and pine bark were used as fillers of impregnating compositions. Physical-chemical characteristics (absorbed amount of impregnated compound, water absorption, swelling in tangential and radial directions, wetting angle) of wood samples treated with impregnation compositions were determined and compared to the most common oil antiseptic ZHTK-2. A strong decrease of water absorption and swelling of wood samples was observed for birch wood samples impregnated composition on the base of spent engine oil. Use of softwood flour as a filler of impregnating composition caused stronger enhancing of wood hydrophobicity, mainly, due to abietic acid dissolution in spent engine oil. 1 w.% of softwood filler of the impregnating composition was found the optimum providing the wood shape and water stability. The developed composition is recommended for impregnation of birch wood to be used in railway sleepers production.