Could 'nanowood’ replace styrofoam?

Published March 27, 2018 This content is archived.

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An article in Smithsonian magazine about a new super-lightweight insulating material that scientists say could prove to be a better, more eco-friendly alternative to Styrofoam interviews Mark Swihart, UB Distinguished Professor of chemical and biological engineering and executive director of the NYS Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics.

“What I find impressive about nanowood, as described in the paper, is that the treatment process that the authors developed allows them to keep key features of wood — particularly its hierarchical structure across length scales from nano to macro, while dramatically altering other key properties, particularly thermal conductivity and optical reflectivity,” he said.

Read the story here.