Carbolineum

Carbolineum (also creosote or coal tar ) is an oily, water-insoluble, flammable, brown, red, smelling of tar mixture from coal tar constituents. The only wood preservatives it acts both prophylactically Fighting against almost all wood pests such as fungi and soft rot, insects and termites. Only a combat dry rot is not possible. Carbolineum was first patented in 1838 in the UK.

It contains, inter alia, anthracene and phenols. Because of its anti-rot and disinfecting effect Carbolineum is used for the preservation of railway sleepers, telegraph poles, piles, etc.. Carbolineum used in construction can protect themselves in direct permanent ground contact wood permanently. Creosote is with today banned substances Kombinal TO and Hylotox mixed and combined.

Carbolineum is a skin irritant and carcinogen. Vapors irritate the respiratory tract. Despite these adverse health reports was and it is used as a wood preservative, as the protective effect of Carbolineum is particularly high. Nowadays, it may however be used only in very limited cases in the outer space.

The located in the commercial wood stains labeled carboline or Karboleum based on vegetable oils and water. They have nothing in common except the name similarity with Carbolineum.

Prohibitions

In Germany was severely restricted or prohibited by the introduction of Teerölverordnung and the Chemicals Prohibition Ordinance, the use of Carbolineum. There is no other wood preservatives, reaching the protective effect of Carbolineum approximate. Since there is no equivalent substitute for Carbolineum, its use is still common and in some cases prohibited.

It may in Switzerland according to Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance no longer be placed for public products on the market, and so treated may not be used in residential areas. May continue to be used such wood on the other hand still, for example, for new railway sleepers and avalanche barriers.

The restriction of the availability of Carbolineum and other highly effective, but also harmful wood preservatives has led to improved constructive wood protection solutions. In particular, by avoiding direct ground contact ( for example, through concrete foundations with steel anchors used ) can also be achieved with less effective products, a permanent wood protection. In other critical areas ( eg railway sleepers, electricity poles ) is now increasingly dispense with the use of wood in favor of concrete, metal or plastics. Where such design options do not exist, the protection with creosote for load-bearing components is still possible. With modern wood preservatives such as copper chromium salts or copper quat salts, however, are now similarly effective but less harmful alternatives are available. Such wood preservatives are called, for example in DIN 68800-3-2012 or wood preservatives directory for the preventive protection of supporting timber components.