Impregnated Fibrous Materials. Report of a Study Group on Impregnated Fibrous Materials

There has recently been renewed interest in the use of radiation from radioisotopes or particle accelerators to initiate and sustain chemical reactions. Particular attention is being paid to the production of wood-plastic composites, a process which is now a commercial reality with radiation competing against chemical methods to enhance the properties of wood. It has been reported that water repellancy, hardness, weathering, insect and chemical resistance, compressive, bending and shear strength can be significantly improved by the process, but so far there has been a limited commercial outlet for the product. Papers on this subject were presented at the International Atomic Energy Agency's Symposium on Industrial Uses of Large Radiation Sources, Salzburg, May 1963, and since then the Agency has been aware of the interest of developing countries in conducting research on wood and other fibrous materials as a means of further exploiting natural resources. It was felt that some attempt should be made to co-ordinate, on a regional basis, the work being done in this field and at the same time review the world status, including the associated technology in such areas as monomer-polymer chemistry and impregnation techniques where they are directly related to this work. Because of the wide range of fibrous materials being studied there, Asia and the Far East was chosen as the most representative area and 39 participants from 13 countries, and from international organizations, met in Bangkok from 20 to 24 November 1967 to assess the potential of impregnated fibrous materials. This report is a record of the meeting and is based not only on work performed both inside and outside the region but also on details of the resources and industries in the area