Thanks to orange peels, scientists have created a transparent and 100% renewable wood

Using waste from the citrus supply chain, a team of Swedish scientists has created a transparent and 100% renewable wood.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Citrus fruits never cease to surprise us. In fact, using the waste from the citrus production chain, a transparent and 100% renewable wood has been created. The new material was developed by a team of Swedish researchers. In fact, the invention of the transparent wood dates back to 2016 and represented a real revolution in the field of construction as this material manages to let natural light through and allows you to store thermal energy. But until now, scientists used fossil-based polymers. Now, however, researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology have successfully tested an ecological alternative: limonene acrylate, which makes the wood more translucent.

From citrus waste a new precious resource

"The new limonene acrylate is made from renewable citrus fruits, such as orange peels that can be recycled by the orange juice industry," explains researcher Céline Montanari, lead author of the new study published in the journal Advanced Science. 

With the waste deriving from the production of orange juice, a special polymer is then made that gives strength to the wood and allows the light to pass even better. And no solvent is used to do this. Furthermore, all the substances used derive from natural raw materials. 

"Limonene acrylate offers 90% optical transmission with a thickness of 1,2 mm and reduces opacity by 30%" - explain the researchers - "Unlike other transparent wood composites developed in the last five years, the innovative material developed is intended for structural use ”and is also extraordinarily resistant.

"We examined where the light goes and what happens when it hits the cellulose" - adds Professor Lars Berglund of KTH - "Part of the light passes directly through the wood and makes the material transparent, while the remaining light is refracted and diffused through different angles ".

@Advanced Science

Sustainability has always been a priority for the research group of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, which is very satisfied with the result obtained. 

“Replacing fossil-based polymers was one of the challenges we faced to create sustainable transparent wood"

But how can this new transparent and sustainable wood be used? The range of applications is still unexplored. However, scientists plan to use it to build innovative windows and in the field of wood nanotechnology. 

Fonte: KTH/Advanced Science

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