InventWood
InventWood is a materials science company that develops engineered wood products under the trade name Superwood. The company was founded by materials engineer Liangbing Hu,[1] and grew out of research led by Hu at the University of Maryland, College Park. The company is headquartered in Maryland.[2] The commercial production of Superwood is scheduled to begin in mid-2025.
Research background
[edit]In 2018 Hu's laboratory reported that partially removing lignin from natural wood and then compressing the remaining cellulose under heat produced a material roughly three times denser than the original timber and an order of magnitude stronger in bending and tension.[3] The material was commercially named Superwood.
Superwood is produced in two steps. First, boards are soaked in a mild aqueous solution that extracts part of the lignin and hemicellulose while leaving the cellulose fibres largely intact. Second, the softened boards are pressed at moderate temperature and pressure, a stage that collapses cell walls, aligns cellulose nanofibrils and allows residual lignin to flow and re-bond, locking the structure in place.[3] The hot-press stage is typically carried out at about 65 °C (150 °F) and reduces the board’s thickness by roughly a factor of five, further concentrating the cellulose network and raising the bulk density.[4] The procedure works with many fast-growing softwoods and even with non-woody species such as bamboo.[5][6]
Laboratory tests and independent assessments have reported tensile strength up to about 50 percent higher than structural-grade steel on an equal-cross-section basis. Because Superwood is significantly lighter, its strength-to-weight ratio is roughly ten times that of steel.[2] Charpy impact tests show an order-of-magnitude gain in toughness compared with the parent wood, while compression and bending strengths also rise markedly.[3] Superwood has attained a Class A fire rating and is resistant to insects, moisture and rot when impregnated with a polymer.[2] In longer-term ageing trials, the densified wood has also resisted fungal attack and shows slower aerobic decomposition than untreated wood when exposed to soil microorganisms.[5]
Fundraising and commercialisation
[edit]InventWood raised US$15 million in its Series A round led by climate-focused investors such as Grantham Foundation and Baruch Future Ventures, Builders Vision and Muus Climate Partners.[2] The company’s first commercial production line is scheduled to begin operation in mid-2025.[7] The initial market focus is on cladding and facade panels,[4] and prototype parts are being evaluated for lightweight vehicle interiors, aircraft cabin components and furniture.[6][7]
References
[edit]- ^ De Chant, Tim (May 12, 2025). "InventWood is about to mass-produce wood that's stronger than steel". TechCrunch.
- ^ a b c d De Chant, Tim (12 May 2025). "InventWood is about to mass-produce wood that's stronger than steel". TechCrunch. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Song, Jianwei; Chen, Chaoji; Zhu, Shuze; Zhu, Mingwei; Dai, Jiaqi; Ray, Upamanyu; Li, Yiju; Kuang, Yudi; Li, Yongfeng; Quispe, Nelson; Yao, Yonggang; Gong, Amy; Leiste, Ulrich H.; Bruck, Hugh A.; Zhu, J. Y. (7 February 2018). "Processing bulk natural wood into a high-performance structural material". Nature. 554 (7691): 224–228. doi:10.1038/nature25476.
- ^ a b "'Superwood' that's 50 % stronger than steel is coming this year". New Atlas. 22 May 2025.
- ^ a b Perkins, Sid (7 February 2018). "Stronger Than Steel, Able to Stop a Speeding Bullet—It's Super Wood!". Scientific American.
- ^ a b Aiello, Chloe (14 May 2025). "This Startup Invented Wood That's Stronger Than Steel. Here's How". Inc.
- ^ a b "What is 'Super Wood'? New material strong as steel nears mass production". Newsweek. 14 May 2025.
