This modified wood is stronger than steel, can withstand bullets
What's the story
InventWood, a US-based company, has developed an innovative material called Superwood. This modified wood is said to be stronger than steel and can even withstand gunfire. In lab tests, a bullet-like projectile was fired at natural wood and an early version of Superwood. While the former was pierced through, the latter remained unscathed. InventWood co-founder Alex Lau thinks this technology could have military applications such as in battlefield shelters.
Sustainability
Wood-based construction
As the construction industry looks for ways to reduce carbon emissions, wood-based construction is being touted as a solution. Natural timber can store carbon long-term, but it isn't always strong enough and can degrade when exposed to moisture or insects. Engineered wood products like Superwood promise to be stronger and more resilient. Lau explains the process of making this modified wood involves treating timber with chemicals to remove lignin and then compressing it tightly, reducing its volume by around 80%.
Production
Production process
InventWood has refined its production process over the years, cutting down the time required to make a piece of Superwood from over a week to just hours. The company plans to use wood from poplar trees for initial production but Lau says bamboo could also be an option. This could provide an efficient way to draw carbon from the atmosphere as suitable bamboo feedstock can be grown in three or four years.
Enhancement
Not a replacement for other engineered wood products
Superwood isn't meant to compete with other engineered and modified wood products like glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT). Instead, it could serve as an aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound finishing layer or a durable external cladding for these products. Morwenna Spear from Bangor University's BioComposites Centre calls it a "promising" technology, but stresses the need for data on its performance in environments where weather cycles between wet and dry frequently.
Resilience
Fire resistance and insect survival
Despite concerns over wood as a building material after the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in January, Lau insists that Superwood has been proven fire-resistant in tests. The modified wood has also survived an exposure to wood-eating insects. Even though it is tougher to work with than natural timber, Superwood can still be sawn using traditional carbide or diamond-tipped blades.