If the rail is the skeleton of the railway, then the sleeper is the backbone supporting the steel giant. Today, let's talk about the key technological leap in the preservative treatment of sleepers - from traditional oil foaming to modern high-pressure oil injection process evolution.
Pine Wood: The "Force" of Railway Sleepers
Before discussing the anti-corrosion process, it is necessary to first understand the main material of the sleeper - pine. The fast growing, tough wood and tight fibre structure naturally provide excellent properties as a sub-rail base. However, pine, as an organic material, is particularly vulnerable to rain, insects and fungus attack. Therefore, anti-corrosion treatment has become an indispensable key link in sleeper manufacturing.
Traditional process: High-temperature immersion in open oil pool
Reviewing the anti-corrosion method of sleepers decades ago, there is a lot of "extensive operation". The workers stacked the pine sleepers in the open anti-corrosion oil pool, and improved the mobility of anti-corrosion oil by heating, so that it can better soak the wood.
This process seems simple and effective, but there are obvious limitations. Under the normal pressure environment, the preservative oil mainly relies on natural penetration into the wood, often only form the surface protection layer. It is like wearing a "rain coat" on the wood, which can temporarily prevent moisture, but cannot prevent the natural change of the internal material. Sleepers treated in this way are often subject to surface oil film peeling and internal drying and cracking after several years of use.
It is more concerned that cracked sleepers will gradually lose their support, resulting in gauge changes, track irregularities and, consequently, traffic safety. Railway workers had to change sleepers frequently, which greatly increased maintenance costs.
Modern process: deep injection in high pressure tanks
With the progress of science and technology, the anti-corrosion process of sleepers has undergone a revolutionary change. Modern plants use hermetically sealed high-pressure corrosion resistant tanks to realize the essential transition from "oil foaming" to "oil filling".
The subtleties of this process lie in the ingenious application of physical principles. The workers first feed the pine sleepers into a sealed pressure tank, then inject preservative oil and apply continuous high pressure to force the oil deeper into the wood.
It is worth noting that modern processes are also carried out at a suitable high temperature, which not only ensures the good mobility of the preservative oil, but also does not damage the wood structure, reflecting the technological excellence.
Significance of Process Evolution
From outdoor oil pool to high-pressure anti-corrosion tank, it is not only the upgrading of equipment, but also the innovation of the whole anti-corrosion concept. The new process not only improves the corrosion protection of sleepers, but also prolongs their service life – high-pressure treated sleepers can last for decades.
This is of great importance to railway operation: on the one hand, it reduces the maintenance cost caused by frequent replacement of sleepers; On the other hand, it improves the stability of the track structure and provides a stronger guarantee for the safe operation of the train.
epilogue
Sleepers, although small, carry the safety of thousands of passengers; Although the process is professional, it reflects the power of technological innovation. The progress of sleeper anti-corrosion process from simple immersion to high pressure injection is a microcosmic epitome in the development of Chinese railway industry. Every technical innovation is to make the railway leading to the distance safer and more reliable.
