TW is a wood–polymer composite that preserves the natural vascular–cellular microstructure of wood. By reducing/modifying lignin and infiltrating the cell lumens with a polymer of matching refractive index, the material becomes transparent (high transmittance) while maintaining high haze for soft, uniform light. Foundational reviews (Royal Society 2018; Cellulose 2023) detail how wood species, grain orientation, degree of lignin removal, and polymer choice affect optical, thermal, mechanical, and photo‑aging properties. [2]
To design a new TW material, the process leverages wood’s intrinsic structure: [3]
Combining these two characteristics during TW fabrication produces unique opto‑mechanical properties.
Methods to make transparent wood
Lignin removal/reduction + polymer infiltration (delignification). Treat with NaClO₂/weak acid to remove chromophoric lignin → rinse → dry → infiltrate epoxy/PMMA → achieve T ≈ 80%, haze ≈ 93%, k ≈ 0.24 W/m·K. A 2020 Nature Communications study also demonstrated scaling to 320 × 170 × 0.6 mm panels with ~24 hours of resin infiltration, indicating good scalability. [3]
Used as the inner lite of double‑pane windows, energy modeling across 16 cold U.S. cities showed average savings of 38 MJ·m⁻²·yr⁻¹ (existing homes) and 23 MJ·m⁻²·yr⁻¹ (new homes) compared with DOE window baselines, thanks to lower overall heat transfer while still admitting beneficial winter solar gains. [5]
TW can serve as a substrate for semitransparent perovskite solar cells or enable edge‑integrated PV modules by leveraging its light‑guiding and diffusing behavior, paving the way for power‑generating windows that both daylight and harvest energy. [6]
[1] National Glass Association, “Physical and Mechanical Properties of Typical Soda‑Lime Float Glass,” 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.glass.org/
sites/default/files/2023-07/FM05-12_2023_Physical_Mechanical_Properties
_Typical_Soda_Lime_Float_Glass.pdf
[2] X. Song et al., “Engineered transparent wood composites: a review,” Cellulose,2023. [Online].Available: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10570-023-05239-z
[3] R. Mi et al., “Scalable aesthetic transparent wood for energy‑efficient buildings,” Nature Communications, vol. 11, 3836, 2020. [Online].Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17513-w.pdf
[4] J. Liu et al., “Highly fire‑retardant optical wood enabled by PEAG coating,” Int. J. Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials, 29, 2022. [Online].Available: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42114-022-00440-3
[5] R. Mi, T. Li, D. Dalgo, C. Chen, Y. Kuang, S. He, X. Zhao, W. Xie, W. Gan, J. Zhu, J. Srebric, R. Yang, and L. Hu, “A Clear, Strong, and Thermally Insulated Transparent Wood for Energy Efficient Windows,” Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 30, p. 1907511, 2020. [Online].Available: https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/pdf2020/fpl_2020_mi001.pdf
[6] Y. Li, M. Cheng, E. Jungstedt, B. Xu, L. Sun, and L. Berglund, “Optically Transparent Wood Substrate for Perovskite Solar Cells,” ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019. [Online].Available: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b06248
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Members, susceptibility to glare, and shattering on impact. In this context, transparent wood (TW) is emerging as a multifunctional bio based material: it offers high light transmission yet strong diffusion (high haze) to prevent glare, lower thermal conductivity than glass, and tough, non shattering failure. Recent reviews in Energy & Buildi){kind=link}