Researchers at Rice University in Texas have developed a new wood-based material that can solve a key problem in the construction industry – excessive generation of carbon dioxide in the manufacture of building materials. To make matters worse, buildings made of classic materials like concrete and steel also emit CO2, and these emissions together account for 40% of all greenhouse gases created by human activities. And although wood is no longer the main material for construction, it can find a “second life” in a new modification.
The idea is to replace the lignin carcass in conventional wood with microparticulate organometallic structures. They have high porosity combined with good strength, so the wood does not lose its properties. On the contrary, it becomes more durable in bending, while the wood itself protects the artificial frame from external influences.
The output is an unusual-looking, but quite functional material, which is processed like ordinary wood. However, structures made from it in a passive mode absorb carbon dioxide in sufficiently large quantities. The process of wood modification is reported to be inexpensive and can be easily scaled up, so new types of wood building materials may soon enter the market.
