Transparent Wood: Coolest Building Material That Can Replace Glass

Scientists at the University of Maryland have introduced an interesting new way to use wood – by making it transparent. The product, which is being seen as the replacement to glass as a building material, was formed using a method that removes chemicals and colours from a block of wood; successfully making it transparent.

Wood, one of the widely used construction material worldwide, including wall panels, furniture and flooring, will soon be used to fabricate windows and even create façades of the buildings.

Though the product looks similar to glass, the transparent wood has better insulating properties and more strength than glass. It also has better biodegradability than ordinary plastic, and is shatter-proof as well.

PropGuide on more about this invention:

The making

The first step of making transparent wood involves dipping of blocks of wood in a boiling bath filled with water, sodium hydroxide and other chemicals for about two hours. This causes a polymer, called Lignin, to enter the wood's cellular walls. Lignin is one of the most widespread composites in the plant world and its key purpose is to make plant cells harder. Interestingly, This polymer gives the wood its colour.

In the next step, wood is soaked with an epoxy that not just makes it stronger but also renders it clear. Amazingly, the core structures of the wood remain intact even when it becomes colourless. When filled with epoxy, these structures are turned into channels that allow light to pass through. Thus, making wood transparent.

However, the making is still in its early stages of progress and more research is underway. At present, only wood chunks that are about 5x5 inches can be made transparent. Future plans include scaling up the process to produce large blocks of wood.

The transfer rate of light, according to researchers at the University of Maryland, is 90 per cent.

Usage

The transparent wood material once a finished product will improve indoor lighting, allowing natural light to seep in through the walls. Hence, it can easily replace glass as the key building material as façades and windows of homes and buildings. Thus, not only bring humans close to the nature but also reduce the energy consumption of artificial lighting in your home.

Transparent wood is a good material for solar cells, too, since it's a low-cost renewable resource that is readily available.

Scientists believe that transparent wood, once used in a full-fledged way, will also entirely cut the use plastic. And since it has better biodegradability than plastic, it will be better for the environment as well. The possibilities are endless with transparent wood.