Interesting article. I picked up some heat treated poplar/tulip today for accents on my kayak. I couldn't find any good walnut and this was 1/3 the price. The heat treatment turns it a chocolate color. I am assuming it will be a little more brittle and stiff. The color is supposed to be stable and the wood is very stable. I did read that sun light can turn the wood grey if it has not UV protection. We will see how it goes.