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Superwetting-Enabled In Situ Silicification for Artificial Silicified Wood
Wei Li1,2, Xuetao Xu1, Dezhao Hao1
1Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|April 22, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a novel method to create artificial silicified wood in under 100 hours. This durable material offers superior resistance to degradation, providing a new solution for conserving wooden artifacts.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemistry
- Archaeology
Background:
- Wooden artifacts are crucial historical records but face degradation challenges.
- Silicified wood offers insights into long-term wood preservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an efficient in situ silicification strategy for wood.
- To create artificial silicified wood with enhanced durability and conservation properties.
Main Methods:
- A superwetting-enabled in situ silicification strategy was employed.
- Silica sol was used for multi-scale infiltration of wood structures.
- The process fabricated artificial silicified wood within 100 hours.
Main Results:
- The artificial silicified wood exhibited high flexural strength (≈216.49 MPa).
- It demonstrated exceptional resistance to termites (retaining 98.70% mass) and fungi (retaining >90.64% mass).
- The material met the safest global standards for resistance.
Conclusions:
- The superwetting strategy enables efficient, multi-scale silica filling in wood.
- Artificial silicified wood presents a promising alternative for wooden artifact conservation.
- This approach is applicable to other wood-like materials with complex structures.
