A New Method for Studying the Weathering of Creosote

The United States Steel Corporation produces millions of gallons of coal-tar creosote as a byproduct of metallurgical coke. The Corporation is therefore interested in the properties of creosote as a wood preservative. A method was needed to determine the evaporation pattern of a small amount of volatile materials. The Stanton thermobalance, which is an instrument designed to continuously record weight changes through a range of 1,000 centigrade degrees, revealed the desired pattern. The extraction of a typical stake that had been field-exposed for 10 years showed that the average retention had dropped from about 140 milligrams of creosote per cubic centimeter of wood to about 60 milligrams. This loss was attributed to chemical changes in the creosote itself as a result of oxidation and polymerization reactions. Tests also showed a different concentration of creosote residuals at the groundline due to the downward migration of extracts through the porous cellular structure of the wood. When the moving creosote approaches the moist groundline section, the downward migration is counteracted by the upward movement of moisture from the soil causing a concentration of creosote at that point.

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