If you have ever taken a walk by the railway tracks and carefully observed the sleepers, you will find that these woods look shiny and black, and have a heavy feeling soaked in oil when touched. Many people think that anti-corrosion sleepers are nothing more than soaking the wood in anti-corrosion oil. But the truth is: soaking alone is not enough. The key to truly enabling sleepers to withstand decades of wind, rain, insect damage, and bacterial erosion lies in a process that ordinary people cannot see - high-pressure infusion.
Wood is naturally a foodie, and anti-corrosion oil needs to be eaten before it can be consumed
Pine wood is the most common material used to make sleepers. It has soft wood and rich fiber pores, making it particularly suitable for "feeding" anti-corrosion oil. However, if the pine wood is just thrown into the oil tank to soak, the oil can only penetrate a shallow surface at most. In the environment of railways, relying solely on a little anti-corrosion ability on the surface is far from enough. To make it have a service life of ten or even decades, high pressure is also required.
Soaking is just the foundation, high pressure is the real topic
The anti-corrosion treatment of the sleepers is completed in a huge anti-corrosion tank. This process can be simply divided into three steps:
1. Vacuum pumping
Extract the air from the tank to create negative pressure. At this point, the pressure inside the wood is low, making it easier for external anti-corrosion oil to be "sucked in".
2. Inject anti-corrosion oil
Fill the tank with anti-corrosion oil to ensure that the oil completely submerges the sleepers.
3. High pressure injection
After the oil flooded the sleepers, the tank began to pressurize, using a force several times higher than atmospheric pressure to forcefully "thrust" the oil into every cell of the wood.
Why do we have to use high voltage?
Firstly, depth determines lifespan.
The immersion depth of anti-corrosion oil under high pressure can reach more than 13 millimeters. When the immersion depth is reached, it can ensure that even if the surface loses protection due to long-term wear and cracking, there is still a thick anti-corrosion barrier inside. High pressure is like a pair of invisible hands, pushing the anti-corrosion oil forcefully into the depths of the wood.
Secondly, uniformity is crucial.
Some parts of pine wood are loose, while others are dense. If only soaked naturally, oil will preferentially enter the soft parts, but the hard parts may not drip oil. Under high-pressure conditions, the oil will be forced to push evenly, and regardless of whether the wood is a "picky eater" or a "picky eater", it will have to be fully fed.
Thirdly, confront the harsh environment of reality.
Sleepers are laid on the railway tracks, exposed to sunlight, rain, frost, insect bites, and subjected to immense pressure when trains pass by. If the anti-corrosion layer is too shallow, a crack can allow water to enter and the interior begins to rot. And high-pressure infusion sleepers are like wearing protective clothing from the inside out, even if the surface is damaged, it is difficult to harm the root cause.
Summary: Invisible craftsmanship, visible value
The sleepers on the railway tracks silently bear the heavy weight of thousands of tons. It may seem rough, but it embodies human wisdom in material protection. The high-pressure infusion process is a manifestation of this wisdom: using the strongest method to achieve the deepest protection.
So, next time you cross the railway, why not take a closer look at those shiny black sleepers - they are not only soaked in oil, but also warriors who have undergone high-pressure "baptism".
