Transparent wood for phone screens could be a thing: Research

Science and technology never fail to amaze us. Researchers are putting efforts into using transparent wood for phone screens. It’s tougher and lighter than the glass we usually use. And here’s the kicker: it can bend, too, and it doesn’t break into sharp pieces but into tiny bits. Further, it’s cheap to mass produce. While still in its early stages, transparent wood holds immense promise for the future of phone screens.

Transparent wood for phone screens could be the future

Lars Berglund from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology teamed up with researchers at the University of Maryland to explore transparent wood. After many trials, researchers found that it could be used in many areas, not just for screens.

This special wood could be great for things like screens on phones or computers because it’s thin and clear. It can also be used for windows. However, instead of being completely clear like the windows we know, it may resemble frosted glass. Some of these windows can even change from clear to tinted.

The researchers also found that thin sheets of see-through wood let 80% to 90% of light pass through. But, as the sheet becomes thicker, less light goes through. Also, tests showed that this wood is three times tougher than Plexiglass and a whopping 10 times tougher than regular glass.

How are scientists making the wood transparent?

This exact question sparked my mind, too. Well, there’s a wood part called lignin that makes wood strong and gives it that brown color. Scientists figured out that by changing or removing this lignin and adding something called epoxy resin, they can make the wood clear.

But there’s a small catch. Right now, the stuff used to make wood clear, called epoxy resin, isn’t very eco-friendly because it comes from petroleum. However, scientists are already looking for better and greener ways to make this, like using things from citrus fruits.