Science: Super-Plaster

In occasional spots, the postwar world looks as good as advertised. The current issue of the Journal of the American Institute of Architects tells about a new building material called Pyrok. When sprayed from a special gun, Pyrok sticks to almost any surface (from strawboard to steel) and rapidly builds up a wall of any desired thickness. A sledgehammer ,blow dents but does not crack it. It is waterproof, weatherproof, fireproof, and an excellent insulator, but can be sawed and nailed like wood.

Pyrok was developed in Britain by Samuel Clipson, a big painting contractor. Its chief ingredient is vermiculite, a cheap...

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