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Hello followers! Let’s dive into an exciting breakthrough in building materials that could change the game.
Imagine wood stronger than steel—sounds like science fiction, right? Well, this innovation is real and born in a Maryland lab. Back in 2018, scientist Liangbing Hu figured out how to turn regular timber into a super-strong material, and now it’s heading toward commercial use.
Hu refined his method over the years, slashing production time from over a week to just a few hours. The technology was set to be licensed to InventWood, a startup led by CEO Alex Lau, with first batches of the so-called Superwood set to roll out this summer. Initially, the focus is on exterior applications like siding and decking, but the dream is bigger—building entire structures with this material.
The process starts with ordinary lumber, mainly cellulose and lignin. The company enhances the cellulose’s strength, treating it with food-grade chemicals, then compresses the material to boost hydrogen bonds. This densification multiplies the strength much more than just four times—it’s more like ten times, according to Lau.
Remarkably, Superwood boasts 50% more tensile strength than steel and a tenfold better strength-to-weight ratio. Plus, it’s fire-resistant, rot-proof, pest-resistant, and can be weather-proofed for outdoor use. Beautiful, rich colors emerge naturally when densified, resembling exotic hardwoods like Ipe or Walnut. InventWood envisions creating large, structural beams that require no finishing, transforming the way we think about construction components.
To make this happen, InventWood has secured $15 million in Series A funding, led by the Grantham Foundation, alongside other investors. The company’s goal? To revolutionize building materials, reducing environmental impact since steel and concrete are major carbon emitters in construction.
