American company InventWood has launched a wood named Superwood, which is 10 times stronger and 6 times lighter than steel in terms of strength-to-weight ratio. Superwood is being produced by InventWood under the leadership of renowned materials scientist Liangbing Hu.

Liangbing Hu had been working on strengthening wood for over a decade. While working at the Materials Innovation Center at the University of Maryland, he introduced a method to redesign wood, even making it transparent. This involved removing a portion of the lignin, the component that gives wood its color and part of its strength.

Liangbing Hu worked on strengthening wood through cellulose. Cellulose is the main component of plant fibers and is one of the most common biopolymers on Earth. Hu first achieved a breakthrough in 2017. He strengthened ordinary wood with chemical treatments to enhance the natural cellulose and improve its structural properties.

What is Superwood?

Superwood is a new type of wood created through chemical treatment. First, the wood is boiled in a solution of water and special chemicals. It is then passed through a hot press to compress it at a cellular level, making the wood fibers denser. According to a study published in Nature, this process resulted in the wood exhibiting a higher strength-to-weight ratio than most metal structures and their alloys.

Hu has refined this process and filed over 140 patents. Subsequently, Superwood became commercially available. InventWood CEO Alex Lau said,“From a chemical and practical standpoint, it is wood. Houses can be built with it. Houses made from it will be about four times lighter. The load on the foundation will be less. These houses will also withstand earthquakes.”

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