Found a way to make wood transparent, stronger and lighter than glass

Transparent wood is an attractive idea that scientists have been working on for some time.Builders

The fact is that wood is stronger than glass – for example, it will not split But despite great efforts, transparent wood has never found commercial use – mainly because of the way it is made.

A common way to make a tree transparent involvesuse of chemicals to remove lignin. This process takes a long time, produces a lot of liquid waste and results in weaker wood. Now scientists have found a way to make the wood transparent without removing the lignin.

The peculiarity of the new process is that ligninreplace, not remove. The researchers removed the lignin molecules that are involved in creating the color of the wood. They first applied hydrogen peroxide to the surface of the wood, and then exposed the treated wood to ultraviolet light (or natural sunlight). Then the wood was soaked in ethanol for further purification. In the final, the scientists filled the pores with clear epoxy to make the wood smooth.

Granted:Science Advances(2021). DOI: 10.1126 / sciadv.abd7342

The resulting wood was 50 times strongerthan transparent wood obtained in the usual way. In addition, it let 90% of the light through. The researchers found it was stronger and lighter than glass, and also provided better insulation. It can be used for both windows and roofs. Scientists note that wood can theoretically be used to create a completely transparent house - it is so durable that it can be used as a material for load-bearing walls.

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