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University Research to Increase Wood’s Structural Strength
During the process, Bajwa and his team fill the tiny voids with cellulose nanocrystals, which they make by breaking down wood or crop biomass. Cellulose, the university says, is what gives plant cells their stiff structure. By processing woody material and separating the cellulose, the result is hard crystals that are so small they’re measured in nanometers. “The crystals are as strong as Kevlar,” Bajwa said, and because they’re so small, the cellulose particles can penetrate and fill the air pockets.
In the lab, the team treats the wood with a chemical solvent that dissolves resin, which may be clogging the wood’s pores, puts the wood samples in an airtight chamber, creates a vacuum that sucks out the solvent, and then injects the nanocrystals into the pores.The solvent then solidifies.