Transparent wood becomes more translucent using a bio-plastic made from citrus

0
Share

The researchers of Kth Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden announced an improvement in their transparent wood introduced five years ago. The new research has made their 100% renewable and translucent composite material. The researchers infused their transparent wood with a clear bio-plastic derived from citrus.

The key to make wood in a transparent composite material is outnowering its lignin which is the light absorbing component in the wood. However, the pores left to empty after stripping the lignin must be filled with something to restore the natural force of the material and allow the light to penetrate. Previous versions of the material use fossil polymers.

The researchers have completed tests with an environmentally friendly alternative called Limonene Acrylate, a monomer made from Limonene. The material is made from renewable citrus fruits, such as recycled peel waste from the orange juice industry. The composite provides an optical transmission of 90% to a thickness of 1.2 millimeters and a remarkably low wheelbarrow of 30%.

The new material is intended for structural use and presents heavy performance with a resistance of 174 MPa and elasticity of 17 GPa while being sustainable. Researchers have sought a way to replace fossil-based polymers and replacement has been considered a major challenge for making sustainable transparent wood.

KTH advances could allow transparent wood to be used in a range of applications, including intelligent windows, wood for thermal storage, wood that has an integrated lighting function and possibly a wooden laser. Currently, researchers work with the group of photonics in KTH to further explore the possibilities of nanotechnology. The improved material is carried out without solvent and only bio-derivative chemicals are used