Making wood transparent

Lab-gloved hands holding natural wood and a translucent transparent-wood sample

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufVDGv3G9B0

Transparent wood is made by chemically stripping light-absorbing lignin from the cell walls, then infiltrating the porous cellulose scaffold with a refractive-index-matched polymer.

The result keeps wood’s fibrous toughness while transmitting light — a candidate for stronger, lighter window and facade materials than ordinary glass.

Thursday March 11th 2021