Is transparent wood an energy-efficient alternative to glass? buildings lose a lot of heat through glass, and while light can bring some heat through the material, it’s not a good insulator. This is why we need double glazing. Wood, on the other hand, is highly insulating but it’s not transparent. Usually.
Wood’s lack of transparency comes from the combination of its two main components, cellulose and lignin. The lignin absorbs light, and the presence of chromophores – light activated compounds – in the material makes the wood look brown. The fibres in the wood, which mainly comprise cellulose, are hollow tube-like structures. The air in these hollow tubes scatters light, further reducing the material’s transparency.
Previous work on making wood transparent has involved removing the lignin completely from the structure and replacing it with a resin material. The removal of lignin requires a lot of environmentally harmful chemicals, and it also considerably reduces the mechanical properties of the material. makes it weaker.
The new study, by researchers at the University of Maryland, demonstrates how to make wood transparent using a simple chemical – hydrogen peroxide – commonly used to bleach hair. This chemical modifies the chromophores, changing their structure so they no longer act to absorb light and colour the wood.
The Conversation The new study, by researchers at the University of Maryland, demonstrates how to make wood transparent using a simple chemical – hydrogen peroxide – commonly used to bleach hair. This chemical modifies the chromophores, changing their structure so they no longer act to absorb light and colour the wood.
Engineered transparent wood with cellulose matrix for glass applications: A reviewEngineered transparent wood (ETW) Poplar wood![]()
Steelerfish 2 points 2 days ago
Wood absorbs water and degrades from exposure regardless of what you do to it- minus painting/sealing it… even if using a high end clear coat like Awlcraft 2000 clear, it is porous meaning the clear would only last a brief time vs glass. Not to mention the expansion of wood in heat…