There's a reason glass is still the more popular choice for many screens and windows over transparent plastics, and it isn't shatter resistance. As noted, Plexiglass is more shatter resistant than...
Transparent wood could soon find uses in super-strong screens for smartphones; in soft, glowing light fixtures; and even as structural features, such as color-changing windows.
And with the resin added, transparent wood outperforms plastic and glass: In tests measuring how easily materials fracture or break under pressure, transparent wood came out around three times stronger than transparent plastics like Plexiglass and about 10 times tougher than glass.
There's a reason glass is still the more popular choice for many screens and windows over transparent plastics, and it isn't shatter resistance. As noted, Plexiglass is more shatter resistant than glass. But generally there's a trade-off, better shatter-resistance means worse scratch-resistance (and vice versa). Plastics are too easily scuffed for applications where we want something to look good for a long time. Glass is more resistant to scratching and shatter resistant enough, at least until you drop it or throw a rock at it. But at that point, that's more of an environmental issue than material failure.
Plastic screens do exist though, they're typically used in instances where scuffing is an acceptable trade off for longevity in rough environments. The Nintendo Switch is a popular example of a plastic screen. I think they can also be found in medical devices and Nokia phones? My warehouse scanner had a plastic screen too.
This is a long winded way of saying that - as exciting as I find the prospect - the lack of information about scratch resistance makes me think it's another factor that needs improvement before transparent woods realistically hit the market.
I came here make a joke about transparent aluminum, but apparently it's a real thing. To be fair, I was standing at my 3D printer punching control commands in on my phone (via octoprint) and I...
To be fair, I was standing at my 3D printer punching control commands in on my phone (via octoprint) and I realized that's basically Star Trek with less polyester.
Or much more classic: sapphire. But that's usually not what we mean when we say "transparent aluminum"... since those two can't be worked like metal, which would be really nice. Because grinding...
it's a real thing (Aluminium oxynitride)
Or much more classic: sapphire. But that's usually not what we mean when we say "transparent aluminum"... since those two can't be worked like metal, which would be really nice. Because grinding ultra hard ceramics into shape and gluing them together doesn't really compare to, well, stamping/forging/casting pieces and then welding them together!
I realized that's basically Star Trek with less polyester.
Of all the uses they suggest in the article the one I like the best is using transparent wood in ceilings. Seems to be the perfect situation. Strong enough to be used in construction. The light...
Of all the uses they suggest in the article the one I like the best is using transparent wood in ceilings. Seems to be the perfect situation. Strong enough to be used in construction. The light can be diffuse and absorbed as heat. Or sandwich one of their electrochromic layers in there and make it opaque, or a color. Regulate your house temps from the top down, since that is where all the energy is coming from.
I say this as someone who lives in a dark house that desperately needs skylights.
That's pretty interesting, might make termites even more dangerous though! I wonder if it'll be more of a industrial application or a residential one? I could see it being useful for skylights if...
That's pretty interesting, might make termites even more dangerous though! I wonder if it'll be more of a industrial application or a residential one? I could see it being useful for skylights if nothing else.
That said, I can't wait to say "Careful, that's a structural window!"
Given that part of what makes the wood transparent instead of merely translucent is it being infused with a resin that has a similar refractive index, termites wouldn't have a great time trying to...
Given that part of what makes the wood transparent instead of merely translucent is it being infused with a resin that has a similar refractive index, termites wouldn't have a great time trying to eat it.
While interesting I'm skeptical it will have anywhere near the mass use people are hoping for. It's not exactly simple to make and it's not easy to work with either. It might find some niche uses...
While interesting I'm skeptical it will have anywhere near the mass use people are hoping for. It's not exactly simple to make and it's not easy to work with either. It might find some niche uses or maybe we'll get a better process, but I suspect this is more novelty than anything.
There's a reason glass is still the more popular choice for many screens and windows over transparent plastics, and it isn't shatter resistance. As noted, Plexiglass is more shatter resistant than glass. But generally there's a trade-off, better shatter-resistance means worse scratch-resistance (and vice versa). Plastics are too easily scuffed for applications where we want something to look good for a long time. Glass is more resistant to scratching and shatter resistant enough, at least until you drop it or throw a rock at it. But at that point, that's more of an environmental issue than material failure.
Plastic screens do exist though, they're typically used in instances where scuffing is an acceptable trade off for longevity in rough environments. The Nintendo Switch is a popular example of a plastic screen. I think they can also be found in medical devices and Nokia phones? My warehouse scanner had a plastic screen too.
This is a long winded way of saying that - as exciting as I find the prospect - the lack of information about scratch resistance makes me think it's another factor that needs improvement before transparent woods realistically hit the market.
I came here make a joke about transparent aluminum, but apparently it's a real thing.
To be fair, I was standing at my 3D printer punching control commands in on my phone (via octoprint) and I realized that's basically Star Trek with less polyester.
Or much more classic: sapphire. But that's usually not what we mean when we say "transparent aluminum"... since those two can't be worked like metal, which would be really nice. Because grinding ultra hard ceramics into shape and gluing them together doesn't really compare to, well, stamping/forging/casting pieces and then welding them together!
But with more polylactic acid (PLA)!
Of all the uses they suggest in the article the one I like the best is using transparent wood in ceilings. Seems to be the perfect situation. Strong enough to be used in construction. The light can be diffuse and absorbed as heat. Or sandwich one of their electrochromic layers in there and make it opaque, or a color. Regulate your house temps from the top down, since that is where all the energy is coming from.
I say this as someone who lives in a dark house that desperately needs skylights.
That's pretty interesting, might make termites even more dangerous though! I wonder if it'll be more of a industrial application or a residential one? I could see it being useful for skylights if nothing else.
That said, I can't wait to say "Careful, that's a structural window!"
Given that part of what makes the wood transparent instead of merely translucent is it being infused with a resin that has a similar refractive index, termites wouldn't have a great time trying to eat it.
While interesting I'm skeptical it will have anywhere near the mass use people are hoping for. It's not exactly simple to make and it's not easy to work with either. It might find some niche uses or maybe we'll get a better process, but I suspect this is more novelty than anything.