Wow this is super breakthrough that people just don't realize the importance of yet.

There's a good chance that these denser woods are also less prone to decay and termite damage. This could be a game changer.

Wood has a grain, so responds differently to loads in different directions. Does this process remove that factor? If not, it will be much more difficult to use than metals that dont have directional characteristics. Next question, is, how does it respond to flame. Is it still as flammable as normal wood? If so, then to replace steel, it would need to be fireproofed in some applications which could add cost and complexity to the final product. There are still many questions to answer before it will replace steel, but if it lives up to its promise, it will be another very useful material.

I agree with Vincent - this will have an important impact. Investing into timber like teak is popular from a generational financial aspect - this could undermine investment plantations that take 30+yrs to grow. Common fast growing wood can now cheaply compete with the best materials available. It will be interesting to follow how this commercially develops.

Sounds promising. Production process, and costs, will determine if this technology gets off the ground.

Tree-huggers are gonna have a fit over this.

If this can work on soft woods, then I wonder if the next step is to try with other materials like bamboo or some grasses. The ability to bend it to shape in the process could of special interest to high-end architects who want the look of wood but may have had to settle for steel for structural reasons. To Nik's point, the structural capacities of steel are usually determined by the shape (I-beams, angles, channels). Very interesting.

How prone to termite and biological damage will this material be? If it can be made termite and weather resistant then this would be a boon.

Years ago, I used phenolic-impregnated wood for structural insulators. Heavy, strong stuff.

This really puts stealth into navy ships.