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TECHNOLOGY 51
www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA SEP/OCT 2024

However, it seems necessary to think out of the box.
Indeed, as fascinating as it is, the current configuration of
the TW can limit its usage and performance.
For example, the use of sawdust instead of wooden slabs

could make the processes of removing or modifying lignin
more effective. Moreover, the material obtained, not being
characterised by the presence of channels oriented along
preferential directions, unlike the current one, would be isotropic.
The use of already purified cellulose or lignin would allow
for the exploitation of the current paper supply chain, thus
eliminating both the process of removal/modification of lignin
and that of infiltration of monomers and resins inside the
wood channels.

In addition, biomass with a high growth rate (e.g., bamboo, materials, to prolong the life span of TW composites: indeed, as
grasses), which are more efficient for CO2 sequestration and a biomaterial, transparent wood is prone to degrade over time.
whose harvesting does not imply deforestation, should be This may be attributed to such factors as temperature
preferred. fluctuations, fire occasions, microbial activity, photo-oxidation,
A huge amount of work must also be devoted to the organic moisture and humidity adsorption, and exposure to aggressive
polymer. Although there is a wide availability of structural chemicals as well. Fixing these issues involves a combination
properties, from a functional point of view the aspects to be of design considerations, material improvements, and industrial

considered make the choice more complex and even more practices.
challenging. The first problem is related to the infiltration Finally, there is an urgent need for the development of
phase: the monomer or resin to be infiltrated must have a scalable manufacturing processes: indeed, it is highly necessary
viscosity that is not too high. to design and process large-size and thick transparent wood
Then, the compatibility between the inner walls of the wood structures for industrial production and exploitation.
channels and the infiltration system is not always optimal. It is This is currently impossible and remarkably limits the use
therefore necessary to find low-viscosity alternatives, maybe of the big potential offered by TW. It is worth noticing that the
using reactive diluents. processing techniques that work on a small scale are difficult
In addition, it might be useful to modify the functional to apply to the manufacturing of large wood samples: the

groups of the inner walls of the channels to increase the larger the size, the lower the uniformity achieved.
compatibility between wood scaffold and polymer. Therefore, it becomes crucial to develop cost-effective,
However, any chemical or physical transformation must sustainable, and scalable manufacturing processes, aiming
preserve the principle of maintaining the same refractive to achieve a widespread use of transparent wood materials.
index of all the constituents of the final composite. Further, All these findings suggest that TW and its analogues may
the infiltrating material should also be of biological origin (i.e., have a great development ahead of them both in terms of
bio-sourced or bio-based). ongoing research, development of more practical solutions,

Then, given the nature of the components, it is necessary and possible applications, even in advanced sectors. FDM
to use both stabilising additives and appropriate flame-retardant ENQUIRY NO. 5201