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Show ICHE COURIER Chemists Strengthen Low Grade Lumber, Promise Profitable New Field for Farmers You Pays Your Money and You Takes Your Choice j m WP x " TreatedWoodAlmost Hard as Metal. By BARROW LYONS (WNU Washington Correspondent.) The alchemy of modern chemistry suddenly has prepared a new field of profit for farmers. By the use of relatively inexpensive equipment and by the application of certain cheap chemicals, ordinary soft woods can be transformed into material of almost any desired hardness and color. Not only does this multiply the uses for which wood may be used in building and furniture manufacture, but opens possibilities for its use of pressure, conditions under humidity and moisture that formerly only metals and plastics could satisfy. Also, the decorative value of many woods can be vastly enhanced. And fast growing species of trees, use of which was formerly limited, can now be grown like crops to replace the slower growing varieties. These facts were revealed recently by Dr. J. F. T. Berliner of the ammonia department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company, who recently told a group of scientists and writers about the development of the chemical called methylolurea, the reagent which transforms the inner structure of wood into new substances. Tht chemicals used in this process cents to cents per cost only board foot treated, although the cost of equipment and labor will add to that figure in producing the new product. For the average veneer the cost of chemicals used amounts to of a cent per less than square foot. This development assumes unusual significance in view of recent efforts of the department of agriculture to bring about a new realization of the potential importance of the woodlot to the farmer. John F. Preston, U. S. soil conservation service, estimated a few weeks ago that the income to farmers from farm woodlands could be increased to $500,000,000 a year, or more. The discovery of the Du Pont chemists may considerably raise this esti- west, and New Jersey, Pennyslvania and New York on the east. Three f and million acres are considered desirable for shelter belts. The soil conservation district program, under which the farmers themselves decide what lands are suitable for woodlands, today offers a practical opportunity for giving the Du Pont process a real tryout. By means of the process, wood can be made for the manufacture of doors, windows and drawers that will not swell and stick, or contract and become loose. Wood can be made strong enough to substitute for even steel in certain machinery parts. In a few days woods harder than ebony, which take a century to grow, can be made at small expense. Poplar becomes harder than hard maple, which in turn can be made one-hal- sary vacuum and pressure in which the wood is placed. A steam jet ejector fs an effective, simple means of producing the vacuum. The chamber should be equipped with a pressure door or removable head, and with a source of vacuum and of pressure. A tank for preparing the solution, an auxiliary overflow tank, and means for drying the wood are also needed. Mild steel equipment may be used. The chemicals are no more corrosive than water, and are neither flammable nor poisonous. To prevent rusting, it is desirable to apply a waterproof finish to the exposed surfaces of the equipment This type of equipment could be set up and operated in almost any lumber handling concern throughout the country. A chemical change takes place in the actual fibers of the wood under treatment. Methylolurea in solution enters the wood structure. In the course of drying it gradually reads with itself and with the components of the wood, first to form insoluble but fusible products. Given sufficient time or heat, the reaction is completed and an infusible product results. If the wood is subjected to sufficient heat and pressure while the resin is still in the fusible stage, the resin will melt, flow and allow the wood to compress. This treatment converts the resin to the final infusible form, maintaining the wood ' JP - vV- -' I iff S'-- I i ii; ..ji irrl r- 'M ' - uf .i j Ever hear of the Anzio Turf club? This club has been established only a mile behind the firing lines, at used, which are moved Italy, for the amusement of British and U. S. soldiers. Wooden horses are left the entries in the at In brisk. is of to dice. picture numbers shown by throws Betting according off. "spring handicap are chalked on the blackboard. At right, the barrier is sprung and they are Anzio, Lumber Jacks Do Their Bit in Biggest Log Roll WSfS eev'jv .$k fi I - 4. S JLAx 1: v; 'V two-tent- mate. Income from Woodlot. Farmers are interested in '.V , v.N I jr Vs ft 4) A Impregnating apparatus in the Du Pont experimental laboratories is The wood is placed in the horizontal cylinder. The overhead tank contains the solution of methylolurea, which flows down and impregnates the fibers of the wood. A vacuum is first created in the cylinder, then pressure. harder than the hardest tropical woods. The compressive strength of wood is so increased, and other properties imparted, that in fact a new material is created, which can wood. By be called transmuted d this process, species of woods that grow on your own woodlot can be made as useful as the costlier, scarcer varieties, many of which are imported from distant lands. Wont Warp or Shrink. Furniture made from the transmuted wood can be shipped throughout the world to humid tropics or dry areas with assurance that it will not warp, swell or shrink. A built-i- n finish is imparted so that scratches may be removed by simply smoothing and rubbing. By mixing dyes with the impregnating chemicals, d pine may be given the color of cherry, mahogany or ebony; or the wood may be made green, purple or any bright color throughout. Veneers sufficiently treated become requiring no adhesive to be formed into plywoods, since heat and pressure fuse the product into a hard, dense substance. Even sawdust, shavings and similar woodwastes may be moulded into articles with dyes incorporated. Methylolurea pronounced is compounded by adding urea to dimethylolurea. Both materials are white and soluble in water. They are produced from ammonia, carbon dioxide and methanol, which are synthesized from coal, air and water. Urea results from the reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide. Formaldehyde, which is derived from methanol, condenses with urea to form dimethylolurea. These chemicals are being produced cheaply on a large scale, but are under allocation by the war production board. Small quantities for investigation and preliminary tests, however, can be obtained without formal allocation. After the war large quantities can be obtained. The equipment required may be quite simple. In fact, most of the apparatus now used in impregnating wood with various substances, such and flameproofing as creosote chemicals, can be adapted with minor alterations. Because of shorter treating periods, however, smaller scale equipment can be used. An ingenious mechanic who undergo yl the principles of the new process could r'g up equipment from elements on hand in most plants, the chemus declare. Equipment Simple. All that is required is a chamber capable of withstanding the neces- light-colore- Top Compressed treated wood becomes very hard and dense. The three balsa blorks in the picture were all originally the same size, but the second and third from the left have been subjected to heavy pressure. The thinnest, at the right, is now harder than any known wood, and 10 times as heavy as the original balsa. Balsa is one of the softest and lightest woods known. Below Remarkable resistance of treated wood to warping is shown by this test, the result of which is pictured. Two strips of veneer, one treated and one untreated, were placed on wet towel. The untreated strip curled up, while the impregnated remained flat. shoes, clothes and put up buildings, Mr. Preston said, but also as means of building up wood reserves to create an income balance wheel. We might call it an woodbin. Farm forestry has long served such a purpose in European countries. Originally there were 913 million acres of forest land in this country, but 60 per cent of this was converted into farms, and farms now occupy fully half of the land area of the United States. The move now is to reconvert much of this cleared land to farm woodlands. On farms today, 12,500,000 acres mostly abandoned fields and gulare suitable only for reforeslies tation. Of this large acreage, only 15 per cent is in the south. Sixty per cent is in the central region between Iowa and Missouri on the ever-norm- . al ft Ciafci rather simple. near-at-han- wood- lands not only as sources of income with which to pay taxes, buy seed, y IYlf: ;Yr in the dimension resulting from the press. Thus, treated wood may be compressed to produce a stable, extremely hard, dense product with a consolidated closed surface requiring no filling, sanding or polishing. It is possible to apply moderate pressures sufficient to compress and consolidate only the surface or outer zone of the treated wood to produce a hard finish. If polished or embossed platens are used, these finishes can be reproduced on the surface of the wood. As far as is now known, the treatment does not have any adverse effect on the gluing and finishing characteristics of the wood. Flame resistance is improved, and the wood is also more resistant to fungi, rot and pest infestation. But from experiments made in Du Pont laboratories, it appears certain that a process has been developed which will give new value to the trees standing on every farm wood-lo- t. That should give an impetus to of many marginal reforestation farms, bringing back a woodland V' V y: t: CW ' X ' f i v ' . .s i vs '1I Vj. V'' Xv X,., Jean Mullins, 15, lives in one of the many logging camps near Allagash, Maine, which recently contributed a total of 10,000,000 feet of lumber to the largest drive in the East since 1900. The drive was aimed to tie in with the European invasion, since every foot of this wood will go to the war effort. Jean is shown at left rolling a log with her peavey from the pile into the St. John river. Right: Here Jacks with their pike poles and peaveys clamber over the floating logs, separating and guiding them through the boom. Sisters of Mercy Ace Speaks at Rally meth-il-ol-ur- Treated wood doesnt swell while wet, or shrink when dry. In this test, two dowels of exactly the same diameter were fitted with brass rings that would just slip off Then the dowels were soaked for about 24 hours. It was found that the ring on the treated dowel would slip off as easily as before, but the untreated dowel was so swollen that the ring could not be removed. cover to the soil that will conserve rainfall and lessen the danger of Aboard a coast guard-manne- d assault transport heading back from Europes battlefronts, two U. S. army nurses minister to two wounded warriors convalescing on deck. The nurses are Second Lieuts. Elizabeth (left) and Margaret Collopy, sisters, of Lawrence, Mass. Their patients are Private Hawthorne (left) , and Pvt. William Schreibeck. Speaking at a rally at Aurora, H Lieut. Ira (Ike) Kepford, leadii navy flying ace, looks up to watch plane piloted by Comdr. J. T. Blac burn, leader of the Skull and Cro: bones Corsair squadron. Blockbusters Blind Inventor Visits U. S. Span U. S. in 6 Hours floods. The scientists who perfected this process say there are in the United States some fifty species of tree now used for industrial purposes, and nearly 1,000 types for which no practical use has been found, largely because of their softness. With this new magic applied to the very soft woods, all can now be added to the res urces which will help to make a victorious postwar America something like the dream which the technicians have envisaged. Two pieces of wood, one impregnated with methylolurea and the other untreated, were exposed to the flame of an alcohol burner. The untreated wood soon took flame, while the impregnated merely chars. At right is shown a demonstration of hardness. Two blocks of wood, one treated, the other untreated, but otherwise exactly the same, were squeezed with a C clamp to the same extent. Untreated wood shows a deep depression, while treated wood was scarcely dented. 4 x Air Commander Patrick Huskinson, blind hero of the d RAF, who invented the most lethal weapon of World War II, the blockbuster, has been in Washington participating in Allied discussions on armament design and development. He Was robbed of his sight by the German blitz of 1911. Photo shows Commander Huskinson and his wife during a press conference. 12,000-poun- Col. Jack Carter, left, sha hands with Col. Clair Peterson, er the fliers landed their 1 ft: tangs in New York, to break tr: continental records. Petersons ti was 6 hours, 32!a minutes. P-5- |