Swedish scientists create transparent 'wood'

Researchers at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology have just made wood transparent. The new material isn't as crystal clear as glass, but it could be used to build solar panels or houses that let in more natural light.

These badasses developed the transparent 'wood' by removing lignin, the organic compound that makes the wood brown. When combined with acrylic, the lignin-free wood is about 85 percent transparent. It's also stronger and cheaper than glass, and is suitable for mass production.

Lars Berglund, who led the research, says they are hoping to "enhance the transparency of the material", and are looking to "scaling up the manufacturing process".

[h/t: Gizmodo]

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