METHOD AND MARKING PAINT FOR MARKING OF WOOD
The present invention relates to a method for marking of wood, in which method wood is marked with a marking paint. The present invention relates as well to a marking paint for marking of wood.
Tree marking with a marking paint is used in felling to mark trees felled with forest machines as well as in sawmills for corresponding purposes. In soil cultivation the use of a wood marking paint is widely used. In methods currently in use for wood marking marking paints in which easily vaporizing alcohols to which colouring agents are relatively easy to dissolve are used as antifreeze. Wood marking paints currently in use endure very low temperatures but are highly inflammable due to high content of alcohol. Spraying equipment used for marking are therefore to be cleaned before, for example, preparing or maintaining. Furthermore, marking paints currently in use cause clogging of nozzles of the spraying equipment due to vaporizing alcohols which is the reason why nozzles need extra maintenance and cleaning often during their use. Much effective working time is spent to cleaning and, for example, in sawmills the whole process is in danger to be interrupted. Due to inflammability the danger to catch fire is very high in sawmills and in forest machines especially in cases when while preparing welding and cutting with thermal cutting methods are used (cutting with blowpipe, cutting with an angle grinder and so on). Transport of wood marking paints used currently is also a disadvantage. Wood marking paints known today are all classified and ADR- transport regulations are applied to them which increase transport costs and complicate, for example, transport abroad.
The object of the invention is to provide a method for marking of wood, in which method the earlier mentioned disadvantages are eliminated. Especially, the object of the invention is to provide a method, in which risks in fire safety due to use of present marking paints as well as difficulties such as greater costs in transport and additional work in use of spraying equipment are eliminated. Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a non-freezing wood marking paint even in relatively low, subzero temperatures but with low inflammability.
The object of the invention is accomplished by a method and marking paint for marking of wood, the characteristics of which are presented in the claims.
Characteristic to the method in accordance with the invention is the fact that the marking paint used for marking includes colouring agent, water and glycol. The
freezing point of a marking paint including glycol is low (as low as -40°C), but the evaporation heat and ignition temperatures are extremely high. Therefore risks in fire safety and difficulties such as greater costs in transport and additional work in using spraying equipment are eliminated by using this kind of method. Furthermore, while using this kind of method there is no need for changes in present spraying equipment for marking paint.
In an advantageous application of the method in accordance with the invention a making paint, which includes solution for prevention of corrosion is used for marking. A marking paint including water causes easily rusting and other corrosion to spraying equipment used in spreading the marking paint if prevention of corrosion is not taken into account. By adding suitable solution for prevention of corrosion to marking paint these difficulties may be avoided simply, economically and not worsening the properties ofthe marking paint by any means.
In the second advantageous application of the method in accordance with the invention a marking paint, including 0,05-0,5 % by weight colouring agent, 0,1-2,0 % by weight solution for prevention of corrosion, 35-55 % by weight water and 45- 65 % by weight glycol. With proportions like this a marking paint functional in very cold climatic circumstances and still non-vaporizing and non-flammable is created. Furthermore, due to this kind of solution for prevention of corrosion as a part of a marking paint there will be no corrosion problems in spraying equipment of a marking paint.
In the third advantageous application of the method in accordance with the invention 1,2 ethane diol is used as glycol. 1,2 ethane diol is the most economical glycol at cost, which is used in anti-freezes, for example, in cars and aeroplanes. The flashing temperature and boiling point of it are high (111°C and 198°C). Furthermore, using suitable mixture ratio of water and 1,2 ethane diol (approximately 50 % by weight) an extremely low freezing point is achieved (-40 - -45°C).
In the fourth advantageous application of the method in accordance with the invention 1,2 propane diol is used as glycol. 1,2 propane diol is less hazardous glycol than 1,2 ethane diol but corresponding with 1,2 ethane diol by other properties, therefore transport and handling of it are very safe and easy.
Characteristic to the marking paint in accordance with the invention is the fact that the marking paint includes glycol, colouring agent and water. Production of this
kind of paint is simple and advantageous as well as this kind of a marking paint may be used with various contents of glycol. The mixture ratio of glycol and water may be defined to be suitable in various circumstances of usage. Indoors the glycol content may be relatively low, for example only about 5 % by weight and outdoors the lowest freezing point is reached with 50 % by weight. In principle the marking paint is usable with 5 - 99 % by volume of glycol content. Besides cold resistance and non-vaporization glycol has also other advantages. For example, it improves lubricating properties of the marking paint and therefore the marking paint does not dry and clog spraying nozzles of the spraying equipment but cleans the valves and other parts of the input system of the marking equipment. Furthermore due to glycol the marking paint operates as a lubricating and shock eliminator material in ball valves of spraying nozzles of the spraying equipment. As colouring agent in this kind of marking paint many different kinds of colouring agents are suitable and their part in marking paint may easily be regulated depending, for example, on desired intensity of the colour. Furthermore, many different kinds of solutions for prevention of corrosion may be used with this kind of marking paint to prevent corrosion problems otherwise possible caused by marking paints with water content.
Next, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to some examples for application.
Production of a marking paint in accordance with the invention starts by adding solution for prevention of corrosion to anti-freeze. Solutions are mixed while adding the anti-freeze all the time such that in the end the solutions are as thoroughly as possible mixed together. Next water is added and the new solution is mixed once again thoroughly. At last colouring agent is added. The most important thing in mixing is the fact that the colouring agent and the solution for prevention of corrosion may not be in contact in too high contents, because in such case a part of the colouring agent crystallizes apart from the solution. Consequently intensity and adhesion of the colouring agent get weaker and the colour begins to sediment. Final mixing follows after adding the colouring agent and it usually takes about five hours. It may be carried out, for example, with an immersion pump in the bottom of a reservoir and which pump sucks in the solution and blows it back inside the reservoir immediately (thus creating effective mixing flows and whirls in the solution). In another variant a whisk-type-mixing device may be used.
An acid-based colouring agent, for example, may be used as colouring agent in a marking paint in accordance with the invention. In such case acetic acid is used as a solvent of the colouring agent in a marking paint. With a colouring agent with pH
between 0 - 7 a substance intended for acid environment is used as a solution for prevention of corrosion (for example Metacorr ac 1100 of Farmos Oy or corresponding). While pH of the colouring agent is 7 or more a solution for prevention of corrosion for alkaline environment is used (for example Metacorr Alkline or corresponding of Farmos Oy). Suitable for wood marking paints are also colouring agents meant for dyeing cellulose, such as Basf Basonyl ROT 545 Fluessig, Basf Basonyl Blau 644 flϋssig and, for example, Ultrasol colouring agents produced by Chekemcolour Limited. Those named colouring agents do not soak further than to the surface of a tree (thus decreasing the proportion of wasted wood in sawmills and in cellulose industry) and are not washed to water after marking. That is why they are excellent for tree marking with a paint.
Most usually the paint used for tree marking is red, blue or orange by colour. The composition of a red marking paint in accordance with the invention for all-year use in Scandinavian climatic conditions is as follows:
- 54,31 % by weight mono ethylene glycol (= 1,2-ethane diol)
- 0,26 % by weight Ultrasol Red Y 60 Liquid colouring agent (= acid-based colouring agent with acetic acid 30-70 % CAS 64-19, basic red 12 30-70% CAS 65122-08-9)
- 0,70 % by weight Metacorr ac 1100 solution for prevention of corrosion (= a solution for prevention of corrosion used in acid conditions with triethanol amine 15-30 % CAS 102-71-6, diethanol amine less than 5 % CAS 111-42-2, 1,4 butene diol 5-15 % CAS 110-65-6, formaldehyde less than 0,03 % CAS 50- 00-00)
- 44,73 % by weight water
The composition of another marking paint in accordance with the invention corresponding by properties with the earlier mentioned but blue by colour is as follows:
- 54,31 % by weight mono ethylene glycol
- 0,26 % by weight Ultrasol Blue B liquid colouring agent (acetic acid-based colouring agent with acetic acid 30-60 % CAS 64-19-7, solvent blue 4 30-50 %
CAS 6786-83-0)
- 1 ,00 % by weight Metacorr ac 1100 solution for prevention of corrosion
- 44,43 % by weight water.
Using these contents the pH of the solution is 5,8 in both cases. With pH as given the colouring agent in question will remain dissolved and prevention of corrosion is on high level owing to tests and experience. The pH and the content of the colouring agent applied define the quantity of the solution for prevention of corrosion in use. The pH of the final marking paint may be 7,9 at the most (rather on the acid side) due to glogging of the colour. From the prevention of corrosion point of view the pH must be over 5. Contents of glycol and water may vary by demanded cold-resistance. While using glycol contents presented in earlier mentioned applications the best possible cold-resistance is achieved.
While using marking paint in accordance with the method in accordance with the invention the marking paint is used as earlier known. Therefore, in the method in accordance with the invention a marking paint may be used as earlier known marking paints are used in felling and in sawmills. The spreading of a marking paint is usually carried out by spraying the paint on a tree to be marked with an earlier known spraying equipment, which may be a separate marking device, a marking device placed in a grab of a forest machine or a marking device for sawn wood as a part of a production line in saw industry.
For testing properties of a marking paint in accordance with the invention a field test with a grab of a forest machine with problems due to vaporization of the marking paint on warm weather was carried out. Commonly known marking paints were tested in the grab in question with poor results. The test period was two weeks. The weather was sunny with approximately +20°C temperature. During the first phase of the test an alcohol-based marking paint was added to reservoirs for marking paint of the grab to ensure the validity of the test and to get the comparison results. The alcohol-based marking paint was acting properly for a couple of hours but after which started to vaporize and did not mark wood as desired. During the second phase of the test the reservoirs were emptied and glycol-based marking paints in accordance with the invention were changed into them. The marking paint used in the test contained 54 % by weight glycol. The glycol-based marking paint was used for the rest of the time of the field test and no problems such as earlier mentioned occurred.
The corrosion properties of the marking paint were tested by placing a test sample made of steel (Fe37 or corresponding "black" steel) in a transparent plastic bottle including marking paint. The test sample was half immersed into the substance so
that a half of the sample was above the surface. The solution for prevention of corrosion of the marking paint used in the test was a solution for prevention of corrosion meant for acid environment consisting of triethanol amine, diethanol amine, 1,4-butene diol and formaldehyde. The test sample has been in a closed bottle since 10th August 2001 (e.g. at this moment for about 13 months). The bottle has been shaken once a week and at that time possible corrosion has been examined by picking up the test sample from the bottle and examining the surface by ocular inspection in suitable lightening. In inspections so far no marks indicating the progress of corrosion have been perceived.
A test on cold-resistance of the marking paint in accordance with the invention has also been carried out at the Department of Chemistry at University of Kuopio. The glycol content ofthe application examined was approximately 54 % by weight. The test indicated that there was a slight increase in viscosity of the substance when the temperature was lowed to - 40°C. When the temperature was lowed further to - 55°C there was a change in the sample to porridge like cloudy. When the test temperature reached -73°C most ofthe sample was in solid form.
There may also be other solutions than the earlier mentioned in the frames of the idea of the invention. That is why instead of 1,2-ethane diol (ethylene glycol) also 1,2 propane diol (propylene glycol) may be used as anti-freeze. As well colouring agent, solution for prevention of corrosion and solvent may vary. As solvent some other suitable solvent besides acetic acid may be used. Solvent must, however, be chosen such that the colouring agent in use may be dissolved to it and to other substances in the mixture of the paint as earlier mentioned or in corresponding manner. The composition of the substances in the mixture of the colouring agent in use depends, among other things, on the colour of the substance. This is why the composition of the colouring agent has usually always some influence on mixture proportions ofthe substances in the mixture ofthe paint.
The invention is not limited to the presented advantageous application but it can vary within the frames of the idea ofthe invention formed in the claims.