Clear Wood toward High-Performance Building Materials.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Sustainable Building Materials
• Optics

Background:

• Developing advanced building materials with excellent thermal and optical properties is crucial for energy-efficient applications.
• Traditional glass has limitations in thermal insulation (conductivity of ~1 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹).
• Existing transparent wood materials often suffer from high optical haze (>40%), limiting their use as glass replacements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a clear wood material with high optical transmittance and significantly reduced haze.
• To evaluate the thermal insulation properties of the developed clear wood.
• To assess the potential of clear wood as a sustainable alternative to glass in buildings.

Main Methods:

• A delignification and polymer infiltration method was employed to create the clear wood.
• The process involved significant removal of wood components, creating a porous microstructure.
• The resulting material was characterized for optical transmittance, haze, and thermal conductivity.

Main Results:

• The fabricated clear wood achieved an optical transmittance of 90% and a record-low haze of 10%.
• The material exhibited excellent thermal insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.35 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ (one-third of ordinary glass).
• The dense structure and separated cellulose fibrils effectively reduced light scattering.

Conclusions:

• The developed clear wood offers a compelling combination of high optical transmittance, extremely low haze, and superior thermal insulation.
• This advanced material presents a viable and attractive alternative to conventional glass for enhancing building energy efficiency.
• The findings pave the way for the practical application of clear wood in sustainable construction.