Transparent wood

Questions
What? Transparent wood
When? 1rst january 2021
Who? University of Maryland researchers
What does it bring us? This gives wood the qualities of transmitting 90%
of the light and it makes the material softer and almost perfectly
transparent. It is lighter and it's more resistant than glass and it provides
a better isolation.
This discovery could become a real revolution for the construction
industry and completely change the image of buildings in the future.

The whole text traduced

Researchers of the University of Maryland have discovered a new
technique of making wood transparent. In the past, attempts were made
to make wood transparent by using specialised chemicals to remove the
lignin. The main problem was that this weakened the wood. The new
method uses an alteration of the lignin. At the beginning of the process,
the responsible molecules for giving the wood its colour are removed.
Then a special hydrogen peroxide agent is applied to its surface, which
is then exposed to ultraviolet light (or natural sunlight). After these
treatments, the wood takes on a white colour. The wood is then soaked
in ethanol for further cleaning. Finally the pores are filled with colourless
epoxy to make the material smooth and almost perfectly transparent.
This gives wood the qualities of transmitting 90% of the light and it
makes the material softer and almost perfectly transparent. It is lighter
and it's more resistant than glass and it provides a better isolation. This
discovery could become a real revolution for the construction industry
and completely change the image of buildings in the future.