Transparent Wood: Window of the future

Introduction
Wood is by far the most used, bio-based materials in buildings and Transparent wood is one of
the innovative construction materials that hold the potential to lift the construction sector to a
whole new level. Not only is it environmentally-friendly, but also a great alternative to plastic and
glass.
Transparent wood is created when wood from the fast-growing, low-density balsa tree is treated
to a room temperature, oxidizing bath that bleaches it of nearly all visibility. In the production
process, lignin, a component of cells walls, is removed chemically and replaced by polymers to
make the wood transparent. It has been first fabricated by German scientist Siegried Fink in
1992 and his method has been improved on by subsequent researchers such as Forest
Products Laboratory (FPL) researcher Junyong Zhu in co-collaboration with colleagues from the
University of Maryland and University of Colorado. In their research entitled “A Clear, Strong,
and Thermally Insulated Transparent Wood for Energy Efficient Windows,” they found out that
transparent wood has the potential to outperform glass currently used in construction in nearly
every way.

BODY
Manufacturing Process
1. *Wood Selection*: The first step in the procedure is to choose the right kind of wood. Balsa
wood is usually selected because of its consistent structure and low density. Other kinds of
wood, though, can also be employed.
2. *Delignification*: The process of delignification involves taking the lignin out of the wood. The
natural polymer lignin is what gives wood its distinct color and opacity. When lignin is removed,
wood becomes transparent. Delignification can be accomplished in a number of ways, such as
enzymatic and chemical treatments using sodium hypochlorite or hydrogen peroxide.
3. *Impregnation*: The wood is treated with a translucent polymer following delignification. This
polymer strengthens and enhances transparency by filling the wood's pores and cell walls. For
this, polymethyl methacrylate, or PMMA, is frequently utilized.
4. *Compression*: After that, the impregnated wood is crushed to eliminate any last traces of air
bubbles and guarantee that the polymer is dispersed uniformly throughout the wood structure.
Additionally, the material's strength and density are increased by this compression process.
5. *Curing*: By curing the compressed wood, the polymer is able to solidify and form a bond
with the wood fibers.
6. *Finishing*: By curing the compressed wood, the polymer is able to solidify and form a bond
with the wood fibers.
Physical Properties
- Transparent - It transmits 85% light. It isn’t crystal clear, but hazy. In addition to affording
a measure of privacy to people inside buildings made of transparent wood, the haziness
means the material traps some light.
- Wood has lower thermal conductivity which would help to keep a building at more
consistent temperature and make it easier to reach higher energy efficiency
- Shatterproof
- Biodegradable
 - Stronger than glass and plastic
- Energy efficient
- Low density
- Fire retardant property - During a fire, fire-retardant chemicals react when temperatures
reach a point slightly below the point where wood will ignite. Non-flammable gases and
water vapor are formed and released at a slow steady rate thereby insulating the wood
fibers from temperatures that would cause them to burn.
- Water-resistant - Balsa wood is used in this product and is highly porous, being more
than 90 percent air. However, balsa is not permeable,in which the wood does not let
through either air or water.

Benefits
1. More durable, ductile, and lighter than glass and plastic - It can withstand much stronger
impacts than glass and, unlike glass, it bends or splinters instead of shattering. Transparent
wood is lighter than glass, which might be useful in situations where weight is important, such
as cars or aircraft components.
2. Environmental Friendly - It is made from a sustainable, biodegradable, and renewable
resource with low carbon emissions. Wood is a renewable resource, and by using transparent
wood, we may be able to lessen our reliance on nonrenewable materials such as glass in some
applications. Transparent wood preserves the biodegradability of natural wood, offering it an
eco-friendly alternative to non-biodegradable materials such as plastics in some applications.
3. Cost efficient - It is estimated to cost about $1 a square foot and it is approximately five times
more thermally efficient than glass, cutting energy costs.
4. Thermal insulation- minimizes heat transmission and enhances energy efficiency in buildings.
5. Aesthetic Appeal - Transparent wood preserves the original wood grain and texture while
allowing light to pass through, resulting in a visually appealing look that mixes the warmth of
wood with the modernism of glass. It can architects much more design freedom, as they would
be able to incorporate natural light into buildings with load-bearing and structural transparent
panels.
6. Sound Insulation - Wood is recognized for its acoustic qualities, and translucent wood may
provide better sound insulation than typical glass, making it ideal for noise-sensitive areas.

Environmental Effects

Like other plant-derived materials, transparent wood has numerous environmental advantages
as it is also biodegradable.

Recently, biochemical engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology published the results of
a life cycle assessment of transparent wood. Their article, published in the journal Science of
the Total Environment, stated that the renewable and biodegradable features of transparent
wood make it more environmentally friendly than transparent plastic used for similar
applications.
Currently, petroleum-based plastics like polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylic,
polyethylene, and others supply relatively huge sections of the global industry’s need for new
materials. These materials lead to environmental damage at multiple stages in their life cycle,
from raw material (oil) extraction through to treatment, manufacturing, and disposal.

These materials often act as a substitute for glass because they can be made transparent. They
are used in applications where the natural fragility of glass makes it inappropriate or unsafe,
such as in safety screens or electronic interfaces.

Transparent wood made with sodium chlorite as the lignin-removing agent had a much smaller
environmental impact than transparent wood using methacrylate polymer, according to the life
cycle assessment.

In terms of end-of-life concerns, the study found that glass is actually more environmentally
friendly than transparent wood, as it is easier to recycle and non-toxic if it does find its way into
landfills (eventually breaking down into silica sand). But in this respect, transparent wood still
outperformed plastic alternatives.

Moreover, it could slash energy costs by reducing the need for artificial lighting inside homes
and other buildings, reducing heating costs, and help lower fuel consumption caused by the
production of glass.

Some of the applications of transparent wood are mentioned below:

1. Load Bearing Windows - Since Transparent Wood is tougher than glass and can
sustain more load that the later, it would be a better material to use for load
bearing windows
2. Transparent wood roofs can be designed to certain buildings for providing uniform and
comfortable illumination as compared to conventional glass.
3. In addition, Panels can be built from transparent wood which exhibits lower thermal
conductivity, better impact strength, and lower density as compared to glass.
-Transparent wood is also much more thermally efficient than glass, which could
significantly reduce energy costs when applied as windows in construction settings.
Currently, about a quarter of the energy used to heat buildings is lost through inefficient
glass windows in low temperatures. Enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings through
new window materials could have significant impacts on our total carbon costs.
4. it is used as a structural material for some of the photovoltaic devices such as
electrochromic devices and solar cells. Because of the high haze, transparent wood can
be designed as a light-diffusing layer. Furthermore, high haze means large scattering
angles, which increase the length of the light path inside solar cells, so that efficiency is
improved.
5. Homes in Snow - since the wood provides strength, flexibility, thermal insulation, and
transparent haze, it can be used to build permanent homes in the snow.