Scientists create ‘Superwood’ that’s 10 times stronger than steel | CNN
Key Takeaways
- InventWood launched "Superwood," an engineered wood with up to 10 times the strength-to-weight ratio of steel.
- The material was developed by material scientist Liangbing Hu through chemical treatment and hot-pressing to enhance cellulose structure.
- Superwood is significantly lighter than steel, highly resistant to dents, fungi, insects, and achieves high fire resistance.
- The company plans initial commercial focus on external applications like decking before moving to internal uses and potentially replacing metal fasteners.
- While currently more expensive than regular wood, Superwood's manufacturing carbon footprint is 90% lower than steel, aiming for steel-level cost competitiveness.
A US company, InventWood, co-founded by material scientist Liangbing Hu, has launched "Superwood," an engineered wood product that rivals structural metals in strength. This innovation stems from Hu's decade-long research to re-engineer wood, culminating in a 2017 breakthrough where regular wood was chemically treated and hot-pressed to enhance its cellulose structure, making it significantly denser and stronger. Superwood now offers up to 10 times the strength-to-weight ratio of steel and is up to six times lighter, while also being impervious to fungi and insects and achieving high fire resistance ratings. InventWood CEO Alex Lau stated that this material could lead to lighter, more earthquake-resistant structures and potentially replace metal components like fasteners in furniture and construction. Manufacturing is underway in Frederick, Maryland, with initial focus on external applications before expanding to internal uses next year. Although Superwood currently costs more than regular wood and has a larger initial carbon footprint, its emissions are 90% lower than steel manufacturing, with the long-term goal of being competitive with steel pricing as production scales.
