The invention of wood is about to produce wooden in a stronger steel than steel

It looks like science fiction, but it already comes from a laboratory in Maryland.

In 2018, Liangbing Hu, the subject of materials at the University of Maryland, was Invent the way To rotate Normal wood In a stronger material than steel. It looked like another discovery holding a discovery that did not make him out of the laboratory.

Alex Lao, CEO of the company said invention“It is like, well, this is amazing, but I am a university professor. I don’t know exactly what I do about it.”

Instead of surrendering, HU spent the next few years improving technology, reducing the time it took to make materials from more than a week to a few hours. Soon after, he was ready for marketing, and he licensed technology for invention.

Now, the first SuperWood groups will be produced to start operating starting this summer.

Lao said: “At the present time, this first commercial factory comes out of its kind-so it is a smaller factory-focus on skin applications,” said Lao. “In the end, we want to reach the bones of the building. Ninety percent of the carbon effect of the buildings is concrete and steel in the building.”

To build the factory, INVENTWOOD raised $ 15 million at the first conclusion of the series A. The tour led the Grantham Foundation with the participation of Baruch Future Ventures, Builders VC and Muus Climate Partners.

The InventWood Superwood product starts with regular wood, which is often consisting of two vehicles, cellulose and ligner. The goal is to enhance cellulose already in wood. Lao said: “The cellulose nanoscale is actually stronger than carbon fibers.”

He said that the company treats it with the chemicals “Food Industry” to adjust the lin in wood, then press the result to increase hydrogen bonds between cellulose molecules.

“The materials may bees by 4X and you may think,” Oh, it will be strong four times, because it contains four times the fiber. “But it is actually more than 10 times like all these additional bonds that are created.”

The company said that the result is a 50 % stretching force with steel, with a strength to the weight of the ten best times. It is also classified, or very resistant to flame, resistance to rot and pests. With impregnating some polymers, it can settle for outdoor use such as bias, decorating or roofing. Oncoverwood’s invention products are interface materials for commercial and upscale residential buildings.

The pressure of the material also focuses colors. He added: “You end up with something similar to these richer solid woods.”

Ultimately, INVENTWOD plans to use wood chips to create structural symptoms for any yet you will not need finishing. Lao, carrying a sample of super wood, said: “Imagine that I-Beam ponds look like this.” “It’s beautiful, like walnuts, Ipe. These are the natural colors. We didn’t shine any of this.”