News …

Plasticised wood. Wooden components as strong as those made of metal are said to have been obtained by Latvian chemists, who state that wood has been made stronger by a factor of 3½ following treatment with a 25% solution of ammonia and drying with high frequency currents. It will be used as a substitute for costly metals and plastics. A bearing bushing made of wood is claimed to be 10 to 15 times cheaper than one of bronze, and not inferior in quality. Arrangements are now in hand for a small pilot plant to produce 500 tons of such treated wood a year.