New Atlas

Good Thinking Audio available

Flame-retardant coating for wood is made from ... wood

Ben Coxworth April 25, 2019

Wood is an established and versatile construction material, used to build everything from high-rises and airports to apartment buildings. It also, however, is not immune to catching fire. A new coating could help keep that from happening, and it's actually made from wood.

HefCel-coated wood (left) and untreated wood, after a 30-second flame test

Materials Audio available

Transparent wood now also stores and releases heat

Ben Coxworth April 3, 2019

Three years ago, we heard how scientists from Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology had created transparent wood – it could serve as a cheaper alternative to the silica-based glass used in windows and solar cells. Now, the material is additionally able to store heat and later release it.

The material is clear when storing heat (left) and turns cloudier upon releasing it (right)

Good Thinking Audio available

Non-toxic solution is claimed to make wood fire-resistant

Ben Coxworth February 14, 2019

It was just this Wednesday that we heard about a non-toxic flame-retardant solution created by scientists at Texas A and M University. Well, researchers at Switzerland's Empa institute have also come up with one, which could be used to keep wood and wood-based building materials from burning.

If it works as claimed, AFA could help prevent house fires

Music Audio available

Study suggests wood type has little effect on guitars' sound

Ben Coxworth January 21, 2019

According to many musicians, in order to have the best sound possible, an acoustic guitar has to be made from the "right" type of wood. Unfortunately, such wood often comes from endangered, unsustainably-harvested trees. A new study, however, suggests that wood type makes essentially no difference.

The study found that guitars made from six different types of wood were almost identical in ...

Architecture Audio available

Australia's tallest timber building makes a towering case for eco-friendly construction

Nick Lavars November 26, 2018

Lured by their superior sustainable qualities, high-rise developers around the world are increasingly turning to timber materials for construction, and a newly completed office tower in Australia is the latest shining example of this.

Floor-by-floor, huge exposed V-shaped columns were stacked on top of one another to support the timber ...

Materials

Wood-based sponge hates water but loves oil

Ben Coxworth October 24, 2018

Removing oil spills from water is a difficult business, with various approaches having met with mixed results. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Forestry believe they may be onto something, however, in the form of a reusable "wooden" sponge that absorbs oil while leaving water behind.

A sample of the sponge material draws red-dyed oil from a beaker of water

Materials

Hybrid foam combines strengths of wood and metal

Ben Coxworth October 1, 2018

Back in 2014, we heard how scientists from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research had developed a wood-based foam that could be used as eco-friendly insulation. Now, they've combined it with metal to create a composite that has a much wider range of potential applications.

A close-up view of one of the metal sponges, which gets coated in wood fibers

Materials

Pine cone-inspired sunshades open and close without electricity

Michael Irving August 19, 2018

Retractable sunshades have long been used to adjust the amount of sunlight an area gets during the day, but these are usually driven by motors. Taking inspiration from the humble pine cone, engineers have now developed a shading system that can open and close automatically – no electricity required.

A new sunshade system from ETH Zurich uses changes in humidity to bend planks of wood, ...

Home Entertainment

Canadian craftsman turns out beautiful, high-end retro TV consoles

Matt Kennedy July 31, 2018

Konstantin Mazin runs MazinCraft, a Vancouver-based company specializing in high-end custom timber interiors and home theaters. He recently launched a line of mid-20th century-style TV consoles under the MeiliAudio name, which should be great if they sound half as good as they look.

The SM-70 cabinet-style retro TV console

Materials

New wood nanofiber biomaterial steals strength record from spider silk

Michael Irving May 9, 2018

Spider silk has long held the title of strongest natural biomaterial. Now, researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology have developed a new biomaterial out of wood nanofibers that steals the strength record.

A scanning electron microscope image of the cellulose nanofiber material, derived from wood, which is now ...