Wood preservation preservation reaching back to ancient Greece during Alexander the Great's rule, where bridge wood was soaked in olive oil. The Romans protected their ship hulls by brushing the wood with tar. During the Industrial Revolution wood preservation became a cornerstone of the wood processing industry. Inventors and scientists such as Bethell, Boucherie, Burnett and Kyan made historic developments in wood preservation, with the preservative solutions and processes. Commercial pressure treatment began in the latter half of the 19th century with the protection of railroad cross-ties using creosote. Treated wood was used primarily for industrial, agricultural, and utility applications, where it
Tar "Burmese Oil" or "Burmese Naphtha", is also a form of petroleum. Oil Sands, almost exclusively produced in Alberta, Canada is colloquially referred to as "Tar Sands" however the oil sands is composed of bitumen. Note, similar heavy crude grades from Venezuela are not referred to as "Tar Sands" by Wikipedia or the environmental community. In Northern Europe, the word "tar" refers primarily to a substance that is derived from the wood and roots of pine. In earlier times it was often used as a water repellent coating for boats, ships, and roofs. It is still used as an additive in