Transparent wood, material of the future?

Researchers have come up with a way to produce clear wood.

In the U.S., researchers at the University of Maryland found a way to remove colours and other chemicals from a block of wood, making it transparent, reports Times of India. 

The new material is shatter-proof, it has more strength and better insulating properties than glass, while having a better biodegradability than ordinary plastic.

The first step of the process involves immersing blocks of wood in a boiling bath filled with water, sodium hydroxide and other chemicals for about two hours. Then, wood is soaked with an epoxy that renders it clear. The underlying structures of the wood remain intact even when its colour is gone. The final product left after the process looks like plastic.

Currently, only wood chunks that are about five by five inches in size can be made transparent.