Transparent wood MADE BY: CHRISTIAN NICOLAS QUINTERO MONTERO UMNG MATERIAL ENGINEERING D

CONTENT: What is transparent wood? Advantages Disadvantages Applications Wood: sustainable resource? Conclusion Bibliography

TRANSPARENT WOOOD Transparent wood is a material that could be used to build homes with better energy efficiency. It is an alternative to plastic, glass and cement because it transmits light well and can maintain the temperature.

Transparent wood could further increase this use, as it is still cheap and renewable, retains other advantages and increases its resistance, in addition to letting light through. A whole invention to improve the interior brightness through windows and even translucent facades. It would be, in short, "a unique building material," say its creators.

WHAT IS THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS? The manufacturing process can be simplified in two steps: : 1- Chemical removal of the lignin present in the wood and that makes it opaque and does not allow light to pass through. Lignin is what gives the characteristic color to the wood. This process is similar to the one used to make paper pulp. 2- Inject epoxy resin to achieve increased hardness of wood. The result of this process is transparent hardwood. 1 2

ADVANTAGES: Transparent as glass, but insulating as wood: Its main advantage is the capacity of thermal insulation against other materials. Since wood is a natural thermal insulator, in the near future they intend to use transparent wood in the houses replacing the current glass windows, it will be able to insulate much better from the cold in winter and it will be easier to keep the houses at an optimal temperature in summer. It could also be used in car windows or replace any other surface where glass is normally used.

ADVANTAGES: Its hardness can be even greater than that of steel: That in the manufacturing process it can match the hardness of this transparent wood to steel, and could even make it more resistant. So we are facing a new material perfectly valid for constructions, with the advantage that this allows light to pass through. Although they still have to continue expanding their research, everything indicates that in just a few years, architects and engineers will be able to have new material for their new projects.

ADVANTAGES: Greater light absorption in solar panels: Solar panels that use this material, can become 30% more efficient due to their greater absorption of light.

DISADVANTAGES: Possible mass deforestation To achieve an environmental balance, for the manufacturing process of this material, wood from controlled crops should be used, so that deforestation is avoided. Possible environmental toxic effects: In its manufacturing process, the removal of lignin from wood is carried out through a chemical process whose toxic effects would still be determined

APPLICATIONS: Build Buildings Bicycles Modular houses Solar panels furniture transparent wood will remain a strong, abundant cheap and renewable alternative to other conventional materials

Wood: sustainable resource? Is it really a low cost renewable resource? Wood The sustainability of wood is a controversial issue Although it is considered an affordable, abundant and renewable resource only if it comes from controlled crops prevents deforestation In fact, it is of little use to obtain it in a sustainable way if in the long term the world tree mass will end up disappearing, as recent studies warn.

Wood: sustainable resource? Is it really a low cost renewable resource? Wood The sustainability of wood is a controversial issue Although it is considered an affordable, abundant and renewable resource only if it comes from controlled crops prevents deforestation In fact, it is of little use to obtain it in a sustainable way if in the long term the world tree mass will end up disappearing, as recent studies warn.

CONCLUSION This is a newly invented material, the product life cycle is still unknown. Basically, we still have to know something as important as its environmental impact since the raw material is obtained until it runs through the entire production and distribution chain. A clarifying information in which different variables come into play that determine the greater or lesser safety of its ingredients, its carbon footprint and, in general, the environmental impact and toxic effects that it implies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY transparent-wood-in-search-for-eco-friendly-building-material energy-saver-green-buildings /