Wood produced to replace metal: 10 times stronger than steel

US-based company InventWood has launched a new type of wood called "Superwood." This material boasts a strength-to-weight ratio 10 times that of steel and is six times lighter.

According to CNN, one of the company's founders, materials scientist Prof. Liangbing Hu, came up with the idea of ​​redesigning wood about a decade ago through research he conducted at the University of Maryland.

Hu made the wood transparent by removing the lignin, the substance that gives wood its color and strength. But his real goal was to make the wood stronger.

SCIENTIFIC BREAKING POINT

In 2017, Hu succeeded in transforming classic wood in terms of durability by chemically strengthening cellulose, the main component of plant fibers.

The wood is first boiled in a bath of water and chemicals, then compressed under high pressure to collapse its cell structure, significantly increasing its density.

The resulting material had a “higher strength-to-weight ratio than most metals and alloys.” This achievement was announced to the scientific world in a study published in the journal Nature.

FROM LABORATORY TO PRODUCTION: SUPERWOOD

The process, which Hu secured with more than 140 patents, eventually brought Superwood into commercial production.

Company CEO Alex Lau says the product is “all wood in look and feel,” but “it surpasses classic wood in every way in durability tests.”

CAN REPLACE METAL PARTS

According to Lau, Superwood's high durability allows it to replace even metal fittings in furniture with wood. It is also completely resistant to fungi and insects and has received the highest safety rating in fire tests.

Although Superwood requires more energy to produce than conventional wood, it reduces carbon emissions by 90 percent compared to steel production.

THE DOOR TO A NEW ARCHITECTURAL ERA

Wood has long been on the rise in the construction industry. The world's tallest wooden tower, the 87-meter Ascent MKE, is located in Milwaukee. The city is now planning a taller wooden skyscraper, 183 meters tall.

Concrete is responsible for 7 percent of global carbon emissions, while wood requires much less energy to produce and stores carbon through photosynthesis.