A team of researchers from the University of Maryland in the US has found a new way to make wood transparent, which makes the wood more transparent and could be used as a baseball-resistant window in the future. What to call it? Window glass is clearly inappropriate to call it, but to call it a window tree? I don’t know! This is problem.

Transparent wood made by the University of Maryland in 2016 is already impressive. (Photo/University of Maryland)

Phys.org reports that transparent wood would be an ideal material for home builders because wood is stronger than glass for the simple reason that if it is hit with a baseball, the wood will not break. . It sounds like a science fiction material, but scientists from the University of Maryland have been researching it for several years and have achieved a good light transmission effect, however, the manufacturing technology is complex, and transparent wood has not been commercially available.

The traditional method to make wood transparent is to use chemicals to remove lignin, but this process is time consuming, wasteful, and weakens the strength of the wood, so the University of Maryland was looking for more Good idea, now researchers have found a way to make wood transparent without removing lignin .

The process of "changing lignin", first applying hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) to the surface of the wood, and then exposing the wood to ultraviolet light (or natural sunlight will also work). The wood is then soaked in ethanol (alcohol) for further cleaning. Finally, they coated the wood with clear epoxy to smoothen the wood.

Wood treated in this way was found to be 50 times stronger than the previous transparent wood production method, and also let in 90% of the light. The researchers also found that it is stronger and lighter than glass, and also provides good thermal insulation. The researchers suggest that transparent wood can be used as a good building material, including for windows or lightweight roofs.

Researchers at the University of Maryland also noted that transparent wood could theoretically improve light transmission and could be used as a panel for touch displays.