[en] Fibrous materials (timber and fibres) constitute one of the most steady dollar-earning industries in the Philippines. In 1966 the produce from this industry alone was worth 1061 million pesos, which was almost 6% of the country's national income. The total timber production amounted to 3 325 541 899 board feet, of which 15. 2% was consumed locally and the rest exported to different countries, with Japan as one of the largest importers. The Philippines produces quite a number of varieties of timber and fibre which have earned a good reputation for quality in the world market. However, there are also other varieties of timber and fibres which need improvement to gain a market. Plastic impregnation of these fibrous materials seems a very promising technique for improving their quality. Plastic impregnation of fibrous materials, being a relatively new field, has only recently been started in the Philippines. So far, only the Philippine Atomic Research Center (PARC) has been working in this field. Exploratory studies were initiated in November 1966. Initial work was confined to wood plastic combination (WPC)

[en] Full text: A series of reports by specialists from Australia, India, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of China, Thailand and Viet Nam describes past work and future plans, and outlines potential areas of exploitation. (author)

[en] After an attempt to classify the basic constituents of cermets in function of their resistivity and microhardness, the history of ceramic-metal composites is reviewed. The two main methods of production, sintering and impregnation, are examined from the point of view of the problems posed and solutions required to obtain optimum mechanical properties (resistance to creep and thermal shock...). A summary table of the chief cermets and their applications is proposed with precise details in some particular cases

[en] The basic economic factors to be considered before producing impregnated fibrous materials are detailed. A list of reference tables is provided, together with a comprehensive bibliography. (author)

[en] As a continuation of the work described in the reports OEFZS Ber. No. 4165 and No. 4195, impregnating agents curable by ionizing radiation such as polymerizable monomers or artificial resins have been investigated. Specific weight and viscosity of the liquid mixtures have been as well determined as the specific weight and gel content of the gamma radiation-cured samples. Hardness and elastic behaviour have been estimated only, the shrinkage during hardening has been calculated. In continuation of OEFZS Ber. No. 4198, conservation experiments have been performed with selected impregnating agents by applying these agents to intact and chemically decayed wood samples, whereby the monomer uptake, the alteration of dimensions and volume and the deformation of the samples have been taken for the evaluation of the impregnating agents. (Author)

[en] The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) has been developing a new generation of superconducting magnets which have the helium cooling system as an integral part of the magnet structure. The LBL technique calls for large sections of the magnet structure to be vacuum impregnated with epoxy. The epoxy was chosen for its impregnation properties. Epoxies which have good impregnation characteristics are often subject to cracking when they are cooled to cryogenic temperatures. The cracking of such an epoxy can be controlled by: (1) minimizing the amount of epoxy in the structure; (2) reducing the size of unfilled epoxy spaces; and (3) keeping the epoxy in compression. The technique for using the epoxy is often more important than the formulation of the epoxy. The LBL vacuum impregnation and curing technique is described. Experimental measurements on small samples of coil sections are presented. Practical experience with large vacuum impregnation superconducting coils (up to two meters in dia) is also discussed

[en] The increase of the density of commercial graphite of the type ATJ by polymerization of an impregnated monomer, followed by pyrolysis, is described. The monomer which was either styrene or acrylonitrile, was irradiated by a ⁶⁰Co source and pyrolized in a standard vacuum system. The irradiation dose for the polymerization of the monomer was determined. Suggestions for the establishment of the optimum conditions are offered

[en] The importance of wood as a raw material is described and its deficiencies are listed. The history of the development of some impregnatio processes for fibrous materials is outlined and a hopeful prognosis for the future utilization of improved wood is made. (author)

[en] Studies on the radiation production of wood-polymer materials began in the United States in 1961 at West Virginia University and have continued until today. In this paper the impregnation and polymerization methods and systems that have evolved from these studies are reviewed. Included is a description of the procedures developed at the College of Forestry, Syracuse University, for producing wood-polymers via a thermal-catalytic process. (author)

[en] A method is proposed for introducing lithium into thicklayered nuclear photoemulsions by treating them with lithium salt solutions. A distinctive feature of this method is that the photoemulsion is first treated with an aqueous-alcoholic solution of glycerol and then the glycerol-treated emulsion layer is covered with an aqueous solution of lithium acetate, 55-75 mg lithium per 1 cm³ of emulsion. The proposed method is capable of introducing 3 to 5 times more lithium than any method known