How is birch tar made?

Birch tar has been familiar to man since ancient times. It is believed that even the Neanderthals could use it in the manufacture of tools and hunting, as a chewing resin. Later, tar was widely used for household and medicinal purposes. The product made in Russia was exported to other countries, where it was called Russian oil. The substance has not lost its relevance today.

Birch tar is a thick, oily, non-sticky substance. It is black in color, having a greenish-bluish or greenish-blue tint. A characteristic feature of the product is a specific strong odor (just remember Vishnevsky's ointment or black tar soap). A high-quality liquid dissolves well in acetone, while the solution is transparent. When mixed with water, pure tar will separate from it and float, as it is lighter than water. The water will not be colored. And also a sign of good tar - oily and greasy, but not sticky. If the product is sticky, it means that there is wood sap in it.

The modern production process is based on dry distillation of birch bark. Today, birch tar is made at enterprises where birch bark is placed in closed apparatus, where air does not enter, and heated to very high temperatures - 250-300 ° C. When heated, birch bark decomposes, tar, water and gases are released.

There are two ways to procure raw materials that are used in the industrial production of a product.

• One of them, relatively cheap and promising, is the use of waste from the woodworking industry. Birch bark is extracted in the process of peeling birch blanks in factories. Tar of quite acceptable quality is obtained from raw materials.

• Another method is more laborious and expensive, since manual labor is used. Birch bark is removed from the growing tree, and the outer cork layer must be cut off. The inner bast layer is not taken.

Not every period is suitable for obtaining quality raw materials. The best season is spring, when the trees begin to sap. At this time, the so-called birch bark juice is easily separated. To remove raw materials, you will need a smooth part of a tree trunk, which is 50 to 70 years old. In addition, it is advisable to remove birch bark at a distance of 3-4 m from the root. The procurement of raw materials is carried out in compliance with certain requirements.

• Felling trees is not allowed. This is allowed only if it coincides with the felling time. Therefore, for the procurement of raw materials, areas are often allotted, which in a couple of years are subject to felling.

• You can shoot birch bark until autumn.

• The maximum cutting height is half the total length of the trunk. The bast must not be damaged. The tree must be at least 12 cm in diameter.

In different localities, the start time for the procurement of raw materials may differ. It depends on the condition of the soil, the climatic characteristics of the region, the weather conditions of a particular year. The greatest activity of sap flow is usually observed in the second half of May and lasts 30-40 days. Mass harvesting begins when the birch bark is easiest to separate. Therefore, before the start of the harvesting season, test cuts are made.

For your own needs, a small amount of birch tar can be obtained independently at home. Of course, this refers to a house plot or summer cottage. To get about 500 g of tar, you need to take 2–2.5 kg of birch bark. It is better to prepare birch bark in the spring, which should be dried a little. The process takes place step by step.

• First you need to choose the right cookware. To prepare tar, you need two containers. One of them may be small. It is designed to collect the product. Another, larger one, should have a tight-fitting lid. It will contain birch bark. In the bottom of the larger container, you need to make a small hole through which the tar will flow into the smaller container. When choosing a cookware, make sure that the bottom of the larger vessel fits snugly against the top of the smaller one.

• Then you need to choose a place far from the buildings, since you will have to make a fire. In the place where the fire is made, it is necessary to dig a hole and install a container in it for collecting tar. A large container is installed on top and crushed birch bark is placed in it.

• Cover a large container with a lid. For a tighter fit, you can place a brick on the lid, or cover the place where the lid and the container meet with clay. This is necessary in order to maintain a constant high melting temperature inside.

• The container is lined with wood and a fire is kindled. When the temperature reaches the required value, the melting process will begin, and the tar will accumulate through the hole in a small container. The process will take several hours.

At the end of the process, you need to wait for the containers to cool, then remove the smaller dishes from the hole and pour the resulting tar into a suitable container for storage.

Tar is widely used, as people have long noticed its beneficial properties. For a long time in Russia, its production was being established, it was used both in everyday life and in industry. Peasants used tar as a wheel lubricant, and they also lubricated leather goods, such as horse harness and boots. This protected leather products from the processes of decay and hardening in the cold, from damage by insects during storage.

The leather industry uses the product to fatten raw materials. The leather treated in this way becomes not only soft, as when treated with other fatty substances, but also waterproof and durable. In pre-revolutionary Russia, leather made with pure tar was called yuft. Due to its durability and other qualities, Russian leather was highly valued in other countries.

Both earlier and now birch tar will be useful for gardeners and gardeners. It is suitable as a repellent for many types of insects and small animals. Such a drug has the following advantages:

• it is completely natural, and therefore safe for humans and animals;

• uncomplicated technology of preparation and application;

• long-term action.

There are also several disadvantages:

• Strong smell;

• it is difficult to wash if it gets on clothes;

• getting on the fruits, spoils their taste and makes it impossible to eat them.

Since tar has a strong disinfecting effect, it is widely used in veterinary medicine and medicine. In the recent past, people placed an open container in places where animals were kept. It contained tar, which, when evaporated, disinfected the air, thereby preventing animal diseases. Today, on the basis of the product, there are many veterinary drugs for the treatment of scabies, lichen, hoof diseases, getting rid of insects.

No less extensively, the product is used to treat diseases in humans and in cosmetology. It is effective for various pustular and other inflammatory skin lesions.

There are many benefits to using cosmetics for skin and hair that contain tar. They are developed by some brands, for example, "Nevskaya Cosmetics". Among the products you can find solid and liquid soaps, shower and wash gels, shampoos and hair masks. The use of products allows you to quickly get rid of such problems as excessive oily skin, acne, inflammation and itching, dandruff. They also contain other beneficial additives. The present slight odor disappears quickly.

There are a number of recipes in traditional medicine. Many of them recommend taking the drug by mouth. However, in scientific medicine, there is no evidence base for the benefits of such a method. In addition, uncontrolled immoderate reception can cause unpleasant consequences.

For more information on how birch tar is made, see the next video.