By Fiona Graham
Technology of business reporter, BBC News
Resysta may look like wood, and be used like wood, but the main ingredient is rice husks.
"The idea was to create a new environmentally friendly material that could replace a variety of natural building materials, like stone and in particular tropical hardwood, for all uses where water creates difficulties," says Bernd Duna, managing director of Resysta International GmbH.
"Demand for wood such as teak has boomed in recent decades, making it into a profitable export, yet the long growth cycle of hardwood trees and the difficulty of certifying origin has meant the de facto existence of a large unregulated 'grey market' that preys on mature forests."
The husks are powdered, mixed with salt and mineral oil and pressed into board. Mr Duna says the material looks like tropical hardwood, but has certain advantages.
"It cannot absorb water, which causes wood to swell, warp and splinter.
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more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13299292Now, can we add corn and soybean ag waste to that?