Transparent Wood is it Possible ?

Transparent Wood Is It Possible? 

Yes, it is possible!  let's see what transparent wood is, and how it was developed?

What is Transparent wood:

It is a Wood that can pass light through it like a  normal glass. These properties of transparent wood can help in the construction work.

Some key details:

1. Botanist Siegfried Fink's curiosity led to the development of transparent wood.

2. He achieved this by delignifying wood and selectively removing lignin while preserving cellulose.

3. Transparent substances were then impregnated into the wood to enhance its optical properties.

4. The process underwent refinement to perfect transparency and mechanical strength.

5. Transparent wood offers potential applications in architecture, thanks to its strength and transparency.

How is Transparent wood prepared?

1. Place wood blocks in a solution of boiled water and sodium hydroxide for two hours.
2. This process leaches out the lignin polymer, which gives wood its colour.
3. After leaching, soak the wood in epoxy resin.
4. The epoxy resin not only strengthens the wood but also turns it transparent.
5. The result is transparent wood, a durable and visually appealing material suitable for various applications.

Advantages of Transparent wood:

As a  civil engineer, we should consider the construction  property of the transparent wood:

1. Weight of Transparent wood: The weight is very much less than the weight of normal glass, the density of transparent wood is about 1200 kg/m³. 
2. Durability: It offers increased resistance to breakage compared to traditional glass, making it a safer option for windows and building materials.
3. Thermal Insulation: It provides better thermal insulation properties than glass, helping to regulate indoor temperatures and reduce heating and cooling costs.
4. Accidental Damage Control: Accidental damage to construction materials, such as glass is much more than any other material. The transparent wood may help in that case. 
5. Aesthetic Looks: Transparent wood combines the natural beauty of wood with the transparency of glass, offering a unique and aesthetically pleasing architectural element.
6. Natural Light efficiency: The transparent wood can pass sunlight like glass through it.
7. Ductile  Nature: Transparent wood is ductile in  Nature, so it is very useful to use in the area of Tensile or compressive stress.