The United States developed a wooden construction material that saves electricity heating and cooling

American scientists have developed a structural wood material with mechanical strength of more than 8 times of natural wood, which saves electricity for cooling or heating, but for a wide range of applications in construction, it is necessary to Fire-resistant treatment and increased durability.

According to Science, researchers at the University of Maryland and the University of Colorado, USA, have developed a new wood construction material , capable of cooling rooms by 10 ° C.

In terms of energy consumption, air conditioning is not effective. Heating and cooling rooms make up about 48% of energy consumption and cooling much more expensive than heating. When it is hot, most materials emit heat in the form of near infrared light (IR) photons, absorbed by air molecules, causing heat retention in the room.

New types of wood construction materials, capable of cooling rooms by 10 ° C - (Photo: University of Maryland).

In wood, lignin materials, polymers are deposited by wood cells and cellulose fibers are tightly attached, contributing primarily to near infrared light re-radiation. Many lignin aromatic rings absorb ultraviolet light and convert it into thermal vibrations and near infrared photons.

In the process of stratification, scientists used a hydrogen peroxide solution to crush long lignin molecules into small pieces. Lignin is washed away from the wood and the remaining cellulose is pressed and compressed, thereby, scientists have developed a structural wood material with mechanical strength 404.3 megapascals, 8 times longer than natural wood. .

The new cellulose nanofibers in this material scatter solar radiation and emit strong radiation at medium wave infrared (MWIR), leading to continuous cooling of the environment day and night.

Through testing the model of potential impact of cooling wood , the scientists obtained an energy savings of 20 to 60%, depending on the sunlight. The biggest result is obtained in hot and dry climates. However, new wood materials for wide application in construction also need to be treated with fire and durability.