Engineers have created a new wood that could change what buildings are made of and takes just a few hours to make. “This time-efficient strategy contrasts strikingly with the decades or hundreds of years needed to grow natural wood,” the team of scientists wrote in their paper. A natural material called lignin makes natural wood strong. Lignin binds small crystallites together in a web-like structure. The scientists replaced lignin with resol, a synthetic polymer. Resol also has a web-like structure and can bind crystallites together to create strength.
The crystallites can be changed based on which wood someone wants. They can change the color or other properties by adding or switching out the crystallites that the resol holds together. When the wood is pressed, it’s able to resist, just like natural wood. The scientists were inspired by natural wood, which is why they copied so many of its components. Other engineered wood, like the kind that’s often used to build outdoor porches or fences, is less strong. Those plastic-wood composites are favored because people don’t need to paint them.
This wood is more effective than those plastic-wood composites due to its strength, but also its ability to resist fire. “Further, in contrast to natural wood, they demonstrate corrosion resistance to humidity and acid,” the team wrote. This means the wood could likely resist extreme weather events, allowing for even more protection. “As a kind of engineering materials, this new family of woods is supposed to replace the natural wood when used in extreme environments,” the scientists wrote.
It also provides thermal insulation, keeping people warmer inside their homes but also making the wood usable for environments like manufacturing that might need that protection.
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