See-Through Wood Is Stronger Than Plastic and Tougher Than Glass

Date:January 3, 2024

Country: Sweden

Application

• Used for smartphone screens, insulated windows and more

Description

The materials scientist, who works at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, specializes in polymer composites and was interested in creating a more robust alternative to transparent plastic and after years of experiments, the research of these groups is starting to bear fruit. Transparent wood could soon find uses in super-strong screens for smartphones; in soft, glowing light fixtures; and even as structural features, such as color-changing windows.

Pathway Description:

The process of creating transparent wood involves a two-step treatment. First, the lignin is removed through a bleaching process. This leaves behind a milky-white skeleton of hollow cells. Next, the air pockets within these cells are filled with a transparent substance, such as epoxy resin, that has a similar refractive index to the cell walls. This allows the light to bend uniformly through the wood, rendering it transparent