CA2511384C

CA2511384C - Artificial fireplace log using soy wax

Info

Publication number: CA2511384C
Application number: CA 2511384
Authority: CA
Inventors: Manju Lingam
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-07-05
Filing date: 2005-07-05
Publication date: 2013-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 2025-07-05
Also published as: CA2511384A1

Abstract

An artificial fire log may comprise a wood by-product and charcoal base bound together with a cellulose binder, and further, a waxy fuel source. In the improvement of the present invention, there is provided hydrogenated vegetable oil wax as the fuel source in the fire log. Preferably, the hydrogenated vegetable oil wax is hydrogenated soy oil wax.

Description

ARTIFICIAL FIREPLACE LOG USING SOY WAX
The present invention relates to the field of artificial fireplace logs.
An artificial fireplace log is a product manufactured from wood processing by-products such as sawdust and chips, combined with binders, flammable wax and charcoal solids.
A key to manufacturing an effective and marketable artificial fireplace log is to combine a large enough quantity of raw wood products to achieve the "look and feel" of a wood fire with an effective quantity of a binder, which will keep the somewhat comminuted wood products from falling apart quickly in burning conditions. In this regard, it will be understood that if a log of a sawdust base were to disintegrate upon burning or heating, it would burn very quickly, because of the large exposed surface area of the sawdust. Therefore, binders, such as cellulose powder mixed with cotton linters, are used, as disclosed in US4302210 to maintain the wood by-products in a cohesive mass.
Charcoal is also added to the mass, to provide a long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing fuel source.
Now, in contrast to natural wood, which has a fibrous consistency, and therefore a moderate surface area, or a sawdust with a powdery consistency and therefore a high surface area, an artificially bound wood by-product log has a fairly low total surface area. Therefore, to enhance ignition and combustion, a large amount of a volatilizable and flammable substance such as wax is used.
The use of wax mimics the manner in which natural wood logs will burn. That is, more than 50%
of the weight of a natural log is made up of volatile substances. In a fire, these substances are volatilized and burn, causing a flame. At the opposite extreme, a charcoal contains very little in the way of volatiles, so it will not produce a gaseous flame when burning. In the case of an artificial fire log, the binding together of the wood by-products reduces the volatilization of gases from the wood by-products upon heating, and therefore, to provide a natural appearing flame, a flammable volatilizing substance like wax is utilized.

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A drawback associated with the use of most industrially available waxes is that they may contain substances which are harmful to the air, or are irritating, or have an unpleasant aroma. This later effect is often cited against the use of artificial fire logs, and is particularly noticeable when the fire log is first lit, i.e. when there may be substantial volatilization of wax components at a distance removed from the actual flame, so that some of the components enter the atmosphere of the room in which the fireplace is located.
The present invention addresses the problem of noxious aromas and unwanted gasses emitted by artificial fire logs by the novel means of using, as a wax source, hydrogenated vegetable oil wax. In particular, the applicant has found that the use of hydrogenated soy oil wax in an artificial fire log will result in a fire log that emits virtually no noxious or harmful gasses in the critical first moments of burning. Preferably, the soy oil used is organic, to reduce the possibility of unwanted substances entering the air.
In a broad aspect, then, the present invention relates to an artificial fire log comprising a wood by-product and charcoal base bound together with a cellulose binder, and a waxy fuel source, said waxy fuel source comprising hydrogenated organic soy oil wax, The present invention will be illustrated by way of an example:

A fireplace log is prepared by blending together:
a) 41% by weight of hardwood (maple & oak) sawdust b) 38% by weight of hydrogenated soy oil wax c) 16% by weight maple charcoal d) 5% by weight of a binder comprising 40% cellulose powder and 60% cotton linters.

The resulting mixture was extruded under pressure to form a log having typical fireplace log dimensions of about 17-18" x 4-5". The log was lit in a fireplace, and exhibited satisfactory burning qualities, and no unpleasant odours or aromas on ignition.
It will be understood, moreover, that the relative quantities of wood, wax and charcoal can be changed without negative effect, to create an artificial log with more flame or less flame, as market demand may justify, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An artificial fire log comprising a wood by-product and charcoal base bound together with a cellulose binder, and a waxy fuel source, said waxy fuel source comprising hydrogenated organic soy oil wax.

2. The fire log of claim 1, wherein said artificial fire log contains from about 30 to about 45%
of said hydrogenated organic soy oil wax.

3. The fire log of claim 2, wherein said artificial fire log contains 35 to 40% hydrogenated organic soy oil wax.

4. The fire log of claim 3, wherein said artificial fire log contains 38%
hydrogenated organic soy oil wax.