The thermal efficiency of a building depends on many factors, such as paint color, orientation, and type of building material, but most importantly insulation.And here, the Achilles heel is often windows: homes are presumed to lose Up to 30% of its thermal energy through them. Even with double glazing, energy is inevitably dissipated through the glass.Ultimately it comes down to choosing Between insulation and transparencyOverlapping layers of glass result in a loss of transparency. Conversely, reducing the thickness and number of glass sheets will result in a loss of energy. Or at least that was the logic until researchers at the University of Boulder, Colorado decided to develop it. transparent tree airgel Same insulation effect as wall.
windows made of wort
The latest proposal from the University of Boulder was announced in March 2023, but the story of transparent wood windows dates back to 2018. At that time, a US university team announced the results of a project to create transparent windows using beer wort. , insulating airgel. This study was some of the most advanced in development mars building materials, where the settlers’ food waste is used. The process was therefore based on using bacteria to produce cellulose from the brewery. In vain, the first attempt was unsuccessful.
Five years later, they have demonstrated the feasibility of a new version of airgel that offers a higher transparency index than glass. And it’s made from cellulose. To produce the airgel, the researchers suspended wood nanofibers in water and replaced the water with ethanol. Next, they applied a heat and pressure treatment that replaced the ethanol with air bubbles. Finally, we added a silica compound that repels water and prevents condensation.
The result is a film that can be applied to existing windows such as vinyl to increase their insulating capabilities. However, by using a thicker sheet of airgel (approximately 2.5 cm), it is possible to create a window his offer. Insulation at the same level as the wallsThink about the effect this transparent wood has on the construction of skyscrapers. Skyscrapers today rely almost entirely on glazed facades.
Moreover, the new airgel has the potential to become a more sustainable building material than glass. The latter production, which requires high temperatures, generates approximately 100 million tons of carbon dioxide annually worldwide. For this reason, the USDA describes transparent wood as a “window into the future” and has the potential to outperform glass in nearly every area.
Transparent wood: a sustainable alternative to plastic?
The environmental concerns raised in managing the production of plastics using fossil fuels and the resulting waste are driving the development of alternatives. For example, research is being conducted on the production of biodegradable bioplastics based on natural polymers such as potato starch and cellulose.
Transparent wood could also be part of this trend. According to a study published in Comprehensive Environmental Science, which can be an excellent alternative to plastic.The authors of this study believe that the production of clear wood requires 24% reduction in global warming impact Better than other petroleum-based materials such as polypropylene and vinyl.
Transparent wood was first produced in 1992 by German scientist Siegfried Fink. The basic principle is to extract the biopolymer lignin from wood and replace it with a transparent material. Over time, results such as clarity, strength, insulation and ease of manufacture have improved.An example of this is the Stockholm University study, which used monomers found in orange peel to Clear, 100% renewable wood.
As you can see, future windows can be very different from the current ones. They may even incorporate clear wood, solar-powered glass, anti-pollution coatings, or even offer smart features. If you would like to learn more about such technology, please subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page.
sauce:
