Wood almost fossilized in five days

2005/02/01 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Materialak

Almost incredible. American scientists have fossilized wood in the laboratory. And in five days. However, it must be clarified that the result is not exactly the same of the fossils present in nature. But the method used by scientists creates something similar. For two days they have had this wood in acids and two others in water and silica (sand), which has finally heated to 1,400 degrees and joined to the wood the silica has formed a structure in the form of fossil. In the real fossils, silicon and carbon atoms are not combined, but in that wood.

However, the intention of the scientists was not to manufacture real fossils, but to obtain a material that serves to clean up radioactive waste. If they manage to provoke regular pores in this material, they go in good way.