sabato 21 maggio 2016
(Researchers Develop See-Through Wood That Looks Just Like Glass) Legno trasparente che sembra vetro - via @GeoBeatsNews
A study published this month describes the way in which a team from the University of Maryland, College Park, has been able to make a piece of wood almost completely transparent. We all know what objects made out of wood look like, right? Well, that may be changing. A study published this month describes the way in which a team from the University of Maryland has been able to make a piece of wood almost completely transparent. As the New York Times reports, there are two-phases to the transformation: the first is to treat the wood to remove the color molecule called lignan; the second is to fill the remaining cell structures with the strengthening agent epoxy. As the research notes, the resulting wood composite is “highly transparent with a total transmittance up to 90%...” A similar project was undertaken in Sweden, but that scientist was only able to achieve a see-through rate of 85 percent. Potential applications for the new material include auto manufacturing and building construction, among others. The team is currently trying to produce larger pieces at a time, as the current size limit is five-by-five inch blocks.
a via @GeoBeatsNews