InventWood

InventWood is a materials science company that develops engineered wood products under the trade name Superwood. The company was founded by materials engineer Liangbing Hu,^[1] and grew out of research led by Hu at the University of Maryland, College Park. The company is headquartered in Maryland.^[2] The commercial production of Superwood is scheduled to begin in mid-2025.

Research background

In 2018 Hu's laboratory reported that partially removing lignin from natural wood and then compressing the remaining cellulose under heat produced a material roughly three times denser than the original timber and an order of magnitude stronger in bending and tension.^[3] The material was commercially named Superwood.

Superwood is produced in two steps. First, boards are soaked in a mild aqueous solution that extracts part of the lignin and hemicellulose while leaving the cellulose fibres largely intact. Second, the softened boards are pressed at moderate temperature and pressure, a stage that collapses cell walls, aligns cellulose nanofibrils and allows residual lignin to flow and re-bond, locking the structure in place.^[3] The hot-press stage is typically carried out at about 65 °C (150 °F) and reduces the board’s thickness by roughly a factor of five, further concentrating the cellulose network and raising the bulk density.^[4] The procedure works with many fast-growing softwoods and even with non-woody species such as bamboo.^[5][6]

Laboratory tests and independent assessments have reported tensile strength up to about 50 percent higher than structural-grade steel on an equal-cross-section basis. Because Superwood is significantly lighter, its strength-to-weight ratio is roughly ten times that of steel.^[2] Charpy impact tests show an order-of-magnitude gain in toughness compared with the parent wood, while compression and bending strengths also rise markedly.^[3] Superwood has attained a Class A fire rating and is resistant to insects, moisture and rot when impregnated with a polymer.^[2] In longer-term ageing trials, the densified wood has also resisted fungal attack and shows slower aerobic decomposition than untreated wood when exposed to soil microorganisms.^[5]

Fundraising and commercialisation

InventWood raised US$15 million in its Series A round led by climate-focused investors such as Grantham Foundation and Baruch Future Ventures, Builders Vision and Muus Climate Partners.^[2] The company’s first commercial production line is scheduled to begin operation in mid-2025.^[7] The initial market focus is on cladding and facade panels,^[4] and prototype parts are being evaluated for lightweight vehicle interiors, aircraft cabin components and furniture.^[6][7]