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Creosote: The Tried-And-True Wood Preservative for Over a Century

Creosote: The Tried-And-True Wood Preservative for Over a Century

Sep 1, 2022 | Benefits & Use, History, Wood Treatment Processes

Creosote-treated wood has played a major role in infrastructure thanks to “empty-cell processes.” What are these?  During the 19th century, wood could be preserved with creosote using a “full-cell” process, developed in 1838 by John Bethell. But this...
Wood Treatment in the 20th Century: Wood Preservation Takes Off Thanks to Empty-Cell Processes

Wood Treatment in the 20th Century: Wood Preservation Takes Off Thanks to Empty-Cell Processes

Jun 13, 2022 | History, Regulation, Wood Treatment Processes

Following a century of experimentation in treating and preserving wood for industrial and transportation purposes in the U.S., at the turn of the 20th century Max Rüping and Cuthbert Lowry developed wood pressure-treatment methods that revolutionized the industry. The...
The Bethell Process: The Foundation of the Modern Wood Preservation Industry

The Bethell Process: The Foundation of the Modern Wood Preservation Industry

Mar 6, 2022 | Benefits & Use, History, Wood Treatment Processes

How did the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and Britain’s Industrial Revolution bring about the need for creosote-treated wood for modern infrastructure? Industrial-era wood treatment began with numerous innovations in Great Britain and took on its modern form...

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Recent Posts

  • How American Coal Laid the Ground-Work for the Industrial Revolution
  • How Treated Trestles Built the American Rollercoaster
  • Freight Railroads in the Modern Economy: Built on Old-School Creosote-Treated Wood Tracks
  • Creosote-Treated Wood Embodies “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle”
  • Creosote-Treated Crossties Laid the Foundation for the Nation’s Freight and Subway Systems

Industry Links

American Wood Protection Association
Association of American Railroads
North American Wood Pole Council
Railway Tie Association
Southern Pressure Treaters Association
Treated Wood Council
Western Wood Preservers Institute
Wood Preservation Canada

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Members

Coopers Creek Chemical Corporation
Arbor Preservative Systems
Lone Star Specialties
Rain Carbon Inc.
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