Scientists have improved the technique by which you can make wood transparent. It appears to pave the way for wooden windows that are stronger than glass windows and are also energy efficient.
You might not have known, but it is actually possible to make wood transparent. You can do this by soaking it in sodium chlorite. This removes the lignin (wood dust) from the wood, making it transparent. Not a fun process: You have chemicalsHn is necessary and also remains with the remaining waste. And as a bonus, the wood gets weaker, too.
The new method does not remove the lignin, but it changes its structure. This is faster, costs less materials and also makes the wood stronger rather than weaker. The trick is to remove only that portion of the lignin molecules that give the material its color. They did this by staining the wood with hydrogen peroxide and then placing an UV lamp on it. Then they rinsed the wood with ethanol and filled the poresIn wood with transparent epoxy. It becomes the new way Described In the advancement of science.
Strong, light and transparent
The result: a piece of wood that transmits 90% of the light and is fifty times stronger than wood that became transparent the old-fashioned way. This makes it stronger and lighter than a glass window. And wood has a better insulation effect than glass anyway. Researcher Liangbing Hu from the University of Maryland believes it can carry a heavy load in walls or ceilings. This means that you should be able to build a completely transparent home with it.
Sustainable building
Will we build our homes in the Netherlands from wood, elephant grass and sedge? Climate Design and Sustainability Professor Andy van den Dubelstein, Professor of Sustainability at TU Delft, has been working on sustainable building for more than 20 years. Awarded Best Online University Series Lecture Series in the World. Earlier this month, he told Focus at Focus how sustainable building can ensure we have a better chance for Elfstedentocht in the future!
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