Transparent wood might replace glass

[Hydra009]

Strong, lightweight and inexpensive, wood is hard to beat as a building material. But Swedish scientists may have done just that. They’ve taken ordinary, opaque wood and chemically modified it so that light can pass right through.

The researchers say widespread use of their “transparent” wood could slash energy costs by reducing the need for artificial lighting inside homes and other buildings.

“This opens up new ideas for how to utilize wood not only as a structural material but also as a functional material,” said Dr. Lars Berglund, head of the division of biocomposites at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and one of the researchers. “By using his modification approach we can preserve the attractive features of wood, like low density and high strength, and make wood a much more advanced building material.”

The new material isn’t crystal clear, but hazy. The researchers say that, in addition to affording a measure of privacy to folks inside buildings made of transparent wood, the haziness means the material traps some light. That suggests it could be used to create highly efficient solar cell “windows” that generate electricity while letting sunlight pass through.

Thus the stuff could reduce a building’s net energy consumption not only by reducing the need for artificial lighting but also by generating electricity.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/transparent-wood_us_56fd3c14e4b0daf53aeee8e6

[stromboli]

Cool, but I'm not lining up at Home Depot just yet. "ordinary Balsa wood" doesn't have much structural integrity as a building material. If you can get the same density, structural strength and insulation value in say yellow pine or better, may be a winner. Granted you can laminate the wood(s) together, but you still have to have the same characteristics of the original.

That said, a very neat achievement science wise. The ultimate would be a composite like MDF plywood. That would be a winner.

[Baruch]

Another victory for Ikea?

[Unbeliever]

The date seems suspicious to me...

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I'm having a tough time seeing this stuff being structurally strong enough for much other than ornamental things. Even glass is structurally pretty strong even if it's very brittle. It would have to be able to withstand the high stresses of wind.

[Hydra009]

The date seems suspicious to me...

This isn't a joke.  That's why I posted it.  I was found out as an April Fools prankster so early on that I figured I'd post something ridiculous-sounding but true and watch the overly skeptical reactions roll in.  Didn't happen.  You guys are pretty hard to trick.

[stromboli]

Interesting idea. But from the stand point of flammability, wood is not a good choice for a window unless they can build in a fire retardant capability. As an insulator, glass is much more expensive to insulate, but glass doesn't burn and you have to get it very hot to melt. It will definitely shatter, however. Fire retardant wood with structural capability, like I said- something akin to an MDF or strand board composite. definitely have some applications.

Combine all of it: insulating capability, fire retardant, a structural composite and inexpensive- You would have huge demand.

[Munch]

Given how glass is made from heated sand, and we have vast deserts of sand, and wood is made from trees and if we run out of trees the planet's fucked, I'd stick with glass thank you.

[Baruch]

Given how glass is made from heated sand, and we have vast deserts of sand, and wood is made from trees and if we run out of trees the planet's fucked, I'd stick with glass thank you.

You can't have either, for your own protection ... Big Brother.  You don't want cuts or splinters do you?

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Interesting idea. But from the stand point of flammability, wood is not a good choice for a window unless they can build in a fire retardant capability. As an insulator, glass is much more expensive to insulate, but glass doesn't burn and you have to get it very hot to melt. It will definitely shatter, however. Fire retardant wood with structural capability, like I said- something akin to an MDF or strand board composite. definitely have some applications.

Combine all of it: insulating capability, fire retardant, a structural composite and inexpensive- You would have huge demand.

I can't see where wood would ever replace glass. I typically don't wake up and look at the window and say, 'Its so nice to not be able to really see what's outside!'  We're special where I live and have curtains for that job.. The thing about glass's special properties is its transparency. This stuff would just make being a peeping tom no fun at all. 

[stromboli]

No it definitely would never replace glass for windows or other applications where transparency was required. Also glass can be tailored to filter out UV rays.

The last place I worked before retirement, I was, as assistant facility manager, able to get some UV screening material installed on our western facing windows; this is a building that is 80 meters long and had huge high windows facing west that drank sunlight in the winter (good) got very hot in the summer (bad). That one treatment cut out air conditioning bills by 33%. I got a big useless pat on the back from management, should have been awarded a prize or something. Several other buildings got retrofitted because of it. Still proud about that.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Window_Film/Solutions/Markets-Products/Commercial/

[Hydra009]

Given how glass is made from heated sand, and we have vast deserts of sand, and wood is made from trees and if we run out of trees the planet's fucked, I'd stick with glass thank you.

Wood can and generally is replaced when harvested.  The main reason for deforestation is clearing arable land for agriculture.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Wood can and generally is replaced when harvested.  The main reason for deforestation is clearing arable land for agriculture.

Yeah, I don't think most people realize that commercial wood is usually farmed rather than cut wild.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Woooooo! Transparent wood! 

Just look at all these potential windows!

[pr126]

Also see transparent aluminium.

The voyage home. Star Trek 4.

Computer!?

http://youtu.be/LkqiDu1BQXY