Starting this summer, Superwood will be produced on a large scale and could bring big changes to construction. Liangbing Hu, a materials scientist at the University of Maryland, came up with Superwood, which is made from wood and is stronger than steel, pound for pound. InventWood has made this amazing technology a reality.
In the beginning, Hu’s 2018 invention looked unlikely to be used outside the laboratory. After years of improving the technique so it could be made in hours instead of weeks, he made it possible for the technology to be used by companies. Alex Lau, InventWood’s CEO since 2020, signed a license agreement and got $15 million in funding for the company’s first factory.
Superwood is made by using standard wood, which mostly consists of cellulose and lignin. By compressing the cellulose with food-grade chemicals, InventWood increases the hydrogen bonding. The process works by making the wood denser and also increases its tensile strength by 50% more than steel, making it much lighter but even stronger.
As well as being extremely strong, Superwood has the top fire rating, is immune to rot and pests, and can imitate exotic hardwoods like walnut or ipe without using any stain. To start, Superwood will be used for facades in commercial and luxury residential buildings, with the aim of eventually making structural parts such as I-beams from it.
Superwood is not just strong; it also has big environmental advantages. Since cement and steel have a large carbon impact in building, switching to a renewable wood option can cut a structure’s carbon footprint. InventWood’s technology may reshape sustainable architecture and show that the key to green building is in our forests.
