Search

Transparent wood is an attractive structural material for energy-saving buildings due to its high optical transmittance, good thermal insulation, and high toughness. However, thick highly transparent wood is challenging to realize. In the current work, highly transparent wood (1.5 mm) with a transmittance of 92%, close to that of pure PMMA (95%), is demonstrated. The high transmittance was realized by interface manipulation through acetylation of wood template. Both experiments and electromagnetic modeling support that the improved transmittance is mainly due to elimination of interface debonding gap. By applying this method, a centimeter-thick transparent wood structure was obtained. The transparent wood could be used as a substrate for an optically tunable window by laminating a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film on top. The techniques demonstrated are a step towards the replacement of glass in smart windows and smart buildings.

QC 20181218

Tremendous efforts have been dedicated to developing effective and eco-friendly approaches for separation of oil–water mixtures. Challenges remain in terms of complex processing, high material cost, low efficiency, and scale-up problems. Inspired by the tubular porosity and hierarchical organization of wood, a strong, mesoporous, and hydrophobic three-dimensional wood structure is created for selective oil/water separation. A delignified wood template with hydrophilic characteristics is obtained by removal of lignin. The delignified wood template is further functionalized by a reactive epoxy–amine system. This wood/epoxy biocomposite reveals hydrophobic/oleophilic functionality and shows oil absorption as high as 15 g/g. The wood/epoxy biocomposite has a compression yield strength and modulus up to 18 and 263 MPa, respectively, at a solid volume fraction of only 12%. This is more than 20 times that of cellulose-based foams/aerogels reconstructed from cellulose nanofibrils. The favorable performance is ascribed to the natural hierarchical honeycomb structure of wood. Oil can be selectively absorbed not only from below but also from above the water surface. High oil/water absorption capacity of both types of wood structures (delignified template and polymer-modified biocomposite) allows for applications in oil/water separation., QC 20180221

In this thesis, wood nanotechnologies for transparent, fire-retardant and hydrophobic/lipophilic wood have been developed. There are two main parts; wood template preparation/processing concepts and materials design using these templates. In the wood template processing part, highly porous nanostructured wood templates are prepared. Relationships between processes and material structures are studied. Three chemical treatment methods are used. Lignin and/or chromophores are removed from cell wall, so that nanoscale pores are formed in the cell wall. For preparation of transparent wood, a lignin-retaining method improves physical properties of the template. The pore structures are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and gas adsorption measurement of specific surface area. The compositions of the templates are characterized. Compared with native wood, these templates have nanoscale porosity which provides opportunity for new types of wood modification. In the materials design part, wood nanotechnologies are used for transparent wood as well as for hydrophobic/lipophilic and fire-retardant wood. Two main strategies are used: i) nanoparticles are embedded inside the cell wall; ii) polymers are impregnated in lumen space, and sometimes also inside the cell wall. The transparent wood is prepared by MMA monomer/oligomer impregnation of lumen space. MMA has similar refractive index to the delignified template, so that scattering is reduced and transparent wood with favorable optical and mechanical properties is obtained. The structure and functional properties are studied. Laminated transparent plywood is designed to modify mechanical properties. Transparent wood and transparent plywood are demonstrated in applications combining loading-bearing properties with optical performance such as luminescent properties. The highly porous wood template cell walls are also impregnated with colloidal montmorillonite clay or epoxy/amine solutions to modify the cell wall and for, QC 20180221

Optically transparent wood, combining optical and mechanical performance, is an emerging new material for light-transmitting structures in buildings with the aim of reducing energy consumption. One of the main obstacles for transparent wood fabrication is delignification, where around 30wt% of wood tissue is removed to reduce light absorption and refractive index mismatch. This step is time consuming and not environmentally benign. Moreover, lignin removal weakens the wood structure, limiting the fabrication of large structures. A green and industrially feasible method has now been developed to prepare transparent wood. Up to 80wt% of lignin is preserved, leading to a stronger wood template compared to the delignified alternative. After polymer infiltration, a high-lignin-content transparent wood with transmittance of 83%, haze of 75%, thermal conductivity of 0.23WmK(-1), and work-tofracture of 1.2MJm(-3) (a magnitude higher than glass) was obtained. This transparent wood preparation method is efficient and applicable to various wood species. The transparent wood obtained shows potential for application in energy-saving buildings., QC 20171024

Eco-friendly materials need "green" fire-retardancy treatments, which offer opportunity for new wood nanotechnologies. Balsa wood (Ochroma pyramidale) was delignified to form a hierarchically structured and nanoporous scaffold mainly composed of cellulose nanofibrils. This nanocellulosic wood scaffold was impregnated with colloidal montmorillonite clay to form a nanostructured wood hybrid with high flame-retardancy. The nanoporous scaffold was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and gas adsorption. Flame-retardancy was evaluated by cone calorimetry, whereas thermal and thermo-oxidative stabilities were assessed by thermogravimetry. The location of well-distributed clay nanoplatelets inside the cell walls was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. This unique nanostructure dramatically increased the thermal stability because of thermal insulation, oxygen depletion, and catalytic charring effects. A coherent organic/inorganic charred residue was formed during combustion, leading to a strongly reduced heat release rate peak and reduced smoke generation., QC 20171117

QC 20190221

Optically transparent wood (TW) with transmittance as high as 85% and haze of 71% was obtained using a delignified nanoporous wood template. The template was prepared by removing the light-absorbing lignin component, creating nanoporosity in the wood cell wall. Transparent wood was prepared by successful impregnation of lumen and the nanoscale cellulose fiber network in the cell wall with refractive-index-matched prepolymerized methyl methacrylate (MMA). During the process, the hierarchical wood structure was preserved. Optical properties of TW are tunable by changing the cellulose volume fraction. The synergy between wood and PMMA was observed for mechanical properties. Lightweight and strong transparent wood is a potential candidate for lightweight low-cost, light-transmitting buildings and transparent solar cell windows., QC 20160518

In the current study, we have used sodium chlorite and sodium hydroxide as extraction solutions, to remove lignin and hemicelluloses from the Balsa (Ochroma Lagopus) wood tissues, without damaging the wood honeycomb architecture. Surface morphologies are studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, sugars analysis of the chemically extracted wood is reported., QC 20220922

QC 20180531