A close-up photos of the cells within a Douglas Fir tree. (Credit: Environmental Protection Agency, Wikimedia Commons).
Wood is a popular and cheap building material, but it swells and shrinks with moisture, limiting its potential. A new study by materials scientists and mechanical engineers shows that most of the swelling and shrinking is limited to the cell walls. The complex nanostructure of wood actually prevents it from expanding even more than it already does. By chemically modifying the cell walls, other scientists could create new forms of treated wood that are even more resistant to moisture damage.
Original research paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface on March 25, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
