Maryland-based biotech startup InventWood is preparing to launch a new biocomposite that has properties and texture close to wood, but is 10 times stronger than steel.
The developers note that their wood-based structural material, called Superwood, was obtained by improving the wood structure at the nanoscale. This made it possible to obtain 10 times stronger and a more rigid structure.
InventWood has recently closed its first round of funding for $15 million to start commercial shipments from its own facility in Frederick. The company adds that their material has a strength-to-weight ratio 10 times higher than steel.
The developer of a fireproof, waterproof, resistant to decay and pests of wood material technology was delivered by professor University of Maryland, materials scientist Liangbin Hu. He and his colleagues selectively removed certain components from the cellular structure of wood and then compressed it. The resulting biocomposite retained all the desired properties wood, including texture, heat retention, workability, and natural aesthetics.
According to american environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken, the new material is an extraordinary breakthrough that, in his opinion, will determine the future of the construction industry. So far, the InventWood startup has already managed to attract about $50 million in investments. The investors are the US Department of Energy, Grantham Foundation, Builders Vision, JLL Foundation, and Baruch Future Ventures.
The company emphasized that the funds will be used to support the first industrial enterprise focused on the production of materials for commercial and domestic use. To ensure a gradual rollout across North America, the firm recently signed a strategic partnership agreement with Intectural, a major supplier of high-performance architectural materials.
The biocomposite is entering the market at a time when the United States is looking for its own alternatives to imported steel and aluminum. It can offer the construction industry a high-performance, environmentally friendly material that does not compromise on appearance, strength or flexibility, while meeting the requirements of resistance to external factors and affordability for the construction industry.
It will replace steel and concrete. Scientists have created a super-strong material from wood
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