Scientists create 'Superwood' that's 10 times stronger than steel
11 comments
·October 14, 2025slfnflctd
The fact that no adhesives or other significant additives are used (as far as I can tell) is significant to me.
They state that it's being positioned as an alternative to steel rather than lumber, and that it's superior to steel in terms of overall energy footprint - in addition to being more lightweight - so this one looks like it could have a future.
Gualdrapo
Heard a bit of noise for a while saying graphene was going to be the future of bicycles, but in the end it could be wood...?
constantcrying
Not that this isn't interesting, but there is far more to a material than it's strength to weight ratio. In this case I would suspect the additional processing is not particularly environmentally friendly and quite energy intensive.
>“People always complain that furniture breaks down over time
This very much applies to plywood. Although I own quite a bit of furniture, actually made of planks of wood, which has lasted for an extremely long time. Even furniture which has belonged to my grandparents and which is still in very usable condition.
SirFatty
"This very much applies to plywood. Although I own quite a bit of furniture, actually made of planks of wood, which has lasted for an extremely long time."
Woodworker here... that's less to do with the material and more to do with how it was assembled.
constantcrying
If that is true then having an additional material would do even less for how long furniture lasts. Unless there is some inherent cost benefit to the enhanced wood, which seems somewhat unlikely, since it requires additional processing.
SirFatty
Are you talking about longevity (as you mentioned) or strength (per the article).
Longevity relies on good construction methods (and good environment).
danaris
> In this case I would suspect the additional processing is not particularly environmentally friendly and quite energy intensive.
Well, so is making steel.
The question is how they compare.
shadowgovt
Really fascinating.
I wonder what this process does to the flammability? On the one hand, I'd assume the collapsed cellular matrix means a denser fuel source; on the other hand, I don't know if the open cellular matrix of regular would lets oxygen in or serves as a small reservoir when normal wood burns.
dude250711
In these trying times giving mankind superwood can only be a noble endeavour.
andrewmcwatters
[dead]
Thread from a few months ago with 400+ comments.
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44020832