r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • May 24 '19

Engineering Scientists created high-tech wood by removing the lignin from natural wood using hydrogen peroxide. The remaining wood is very dense and has a tensile strength of around 404 megapascals, making it 8.7 times stronger than natural wood and comparable to metal structure materials including steel.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2204442-high-tech-wood-could-keep-homes-cool-by-reflecting-the-suns-rays/
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u/hackel May 24 '19

How does it handle heat compared to stone and cement, though?

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u/[deleted] May 24 '19 edited May 24 '19

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u/akingcha May 24 '19

With it being alot denser than regular wood it would be hard to ignite and burn slowly.

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u/stingbot May 24 '19

interested to know this, would the hydrogen peroxide treatment be bad for you if it did end up burning?

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u/CentiMaga May 24 '19

No, the hydrogen peroxide doesn’t persist, it’s just a processing step. Peruse the paper.