It is possible to produce wood that is harder than steel, and researchers in Maryland hope to see us use it in our daily lives.
While the climate issue is on everyone’s mind, scientists are working to replace polluting products like steel or plastic. Researchers at the University of Maryland have just made a discovery that could help significantly in this direction. In fact, according to the study they just published in the journal Questions They managed to press Wood is so much more solid than the natural element. This new pressing technology was tested using basswood, which made it possible to make knives, as well as nails that compete with steel products that we know in our daily lives.
Teng Li, co-author of the study, announced in his article “Surprisingly, our wooden knife is actually three times sharper than a typical stainless steel table knife.” While these results have yet to be tested on a larger scale, this discovery may allow products to be produced from wood rather than steel or plastic. A real blessing for the planet, the production of these two mutant elements is very polluted.
Blanch the wood to make it more solid
The technique used by Lee’s teams is “quite simple,” in the words of the researcher. In fact, it derives all the advantages of cellulose, a substance that exists naturally in wood Which gives it its hardness. But by extracting this cellulose and increasing its proportion in wood, products with a level of hardness can be made “Superior to almost all metals and alloys in the world.”
According to the study, the result of this manipulation will produce a wood that is 23 times more resistant than the original natural element. The next step for Li is to produce wood screws. He explains that these disadvantages can be much more interesting than those found in the steel in use today. This is because steel nails rust over time and moisture, a problem that wood nails will never encounter. Once you get rid of the water they contain, they will be able to survive year-round without rotting.
Lee also hopes his product will play a role in our consumption of plastic. This highly polluting element, which often sweats on its own, can be replaced with the hardened wood of Li and his team in everyday life. Many applications are possible according to the researcher, who now hopes to be able to continue developing his product for commercialization in the coming years.
