# InventWood

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{{Short description|American engineered wood company}}

'''InventWood''' is a materials science company that develops [densified wood](/source/Engineered_wood) products under the trade name '''Superwood'''. The company was founded by materials engineer Liangbing Hu,<ref name="TechCrunch2025">{{cite news |last1= De Chant |first1= Tim |title= InventWood is about to mass-produce wood that's stronger than steel |url= https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/12/inventwood-is-about-to-mass-produce-wood-thats-stronger-than-steel/ |work= [TechCrunch](/source/TechCrunch) |date= 12 May 2025 |access-date= 4 June 2025}}</ref> and grew out of research led by Hu at the [University of Maryland, College Park](/source/University_of_Maryland%2C_College_Park). The company is headquartered in [Maryland](/source/Maryland).<ref name="TechCrunch2025"/> The commercial production of Superwood is scheduled to begin in mid-2025.

== Research background ==
In 2018, Hu's laboratory reported that partially removing [lignin](/source/lignin) from natural wood and then compressing the remaining [cellulose](/source/cellulose) under heat produced a material roughly three times denser than the original timber and an order of magnitude stronger in bending and tension.<ref name="Hu2018">{{cite journal |last=Song |first=Jianwei |last2=Chen |first2=Chaoji |last3=Zhu |first3=Shuze |last4=Zhu |first4=Mingwei |last5=Dai |first5=Jiaqi |last6=Ray |first6=Upamanyu |last7=Li |first7=Yiju |last8=Kuang |first8=Yudi |last9=Li |first9=Yongfeng |last10=Quispe |first10=Nelson |last11=Yao |first11=Yonggang |last12=Gong |first12=Amy |last13=Leiste |first13=Ulrich H. |last14=Bruck |first14=Hugh A. |last15=Zhu |first15=J. Y. |date=7 February 2018 |title=Processing bulk natural wood into a high-performance structural material |journal=Nature |volume=554 |issue=7691 |pages=224–228 |doi=10.1038/nature25476}}</ref> The material was commercially named Superwood.

Superwood is produced in two steps. First, boards undergo "partial removal of lignin and [hemicellulose](/source/hemicellulose) from the natural wood via a boiling process in an aqueous mixture of [NaOH](/source/Sodium_hydroxide) and [Na<small>2</small>SO<small>3</small>](/source/Sodium_sulfite)" while leaving the cellulose fibres largely intact.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Song |first=Jianwei |last2=Chen |first2=Chaoji |last3=Zhu |first3=Shuze |last4=Zhu |first4=Mingwei |last5=Dai |first5=Jiaqi |last6=Ray |first6=Upamanyu |last7=Li |first7=Yiju |last8=Kuang |first8=Yudi |last9=Li |first9=Yongfeng |last10=Quispe |first10=Nelson |last11=Yao |first11=Yonggang |last12=Gong |first12=Amy |last13=Leiste |first13=Ulrich H. |last14=Bruck |first14=Hugh A. |last15=Zhu |first15=J. Y. |date=2018-02-08 |title=Processing bulk natural wood into a high-performance structural material |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nature25476 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=554 |issue=7691 |pages=224–228 |doi=10.1038/nature25476 |issn=1476-4687|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Second, the softened boards are pressed at moderate temperature and pressure, a stage that collapses [cell wall](/source/cell_wall)s, aligns cellulose nanofibrils and allows residual lignin to flow and re-bond, locking the structure in place.<ref name="Hu2018"/> The hot-press stage is typically carried out at about 65&nbsp;°C (150&nbsp;°F) and reduces the board’s thickness by roughly a factor of five, further concentrating the cellulose network and raising the bulk density.<ref name="NewAtlas2025">{{cite web |date=22 May 2025 |title='Superwood' that's 50 % stronger than steel is coming this year |url=https://newatlas.com/materials/superwood-stronger-steel-inventwood/ |website=New Atlas}}</ref> The procedure works with many fast-growing [softwood](/source/softwood)s and even with non-woody species such as [bamboo](/source/bamboo).<ref name="Perkins2018">{{cite news |last=Perkins |first=Sid |title=Stronger Than Steel, Able to Stop a Speeding Bullet—It's Super Wood! |work=Scientific American |date=7 February 2018 |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stronger-than-steel-able-to-stop-a-speeding-bullet-mdash-it-rsquo-s-super-wood/}}</ref><ref name="Inc2025">{{cite news |last=Aiello |first=Chloe |title=This Startup Invented Wood That's Stronger Than Steel. Here's How |work=Inc. |url=https://www.inc.com/chloe-aiello/inventwood-invented-wood-thats-stronger-than-steel-heres-how/91189315 |date=14 May 2025}}</ref>

Laboratory tests and independent assessments have reported tensile strength up to about 50 percent higher than structural-grade [steel](/source/steel) on an equal-cross-section basis. Because Superwood is significantly lighter, its [strength-to-weight ratio](/source/strength-to-weight_ratio) is roughly ten times that of steel.<ref name="TechCrunch2025"/> [Charpy impact test](/source/Charpy_impact_test)s show an order-of-magnitude gain in [toughness](/source/toughness) compared with the parent wood, while [compression](/source/Compressive_strength) and [bending strength](/source/bending_strength)s also rise markedly.<ref name="Hu2018"/> Superwood has attained a Class A fire rating and is resistant to insects, moisture, and rot when impregnated with a polymer.<ref name="TechCrunch2025"/> In longer-term ageing trials, the densified wood has also resisted fungal attack and shows slower [aerobic decomposition](/source/aerobic_decomposition) than untreated wood when exposed to soil microorganisms.<ref name="Perkins2018"/>

== Fundraising and commercialisation  ==
InventWood raised US$15 million in its [Series A](/source/Series_A) round led by [climate-focused investors](/source/Climate_finance) such as Grantham Foundation and Baruch Future Ventures, Builders Vision, and Muus Climate Partners.<ref name="TechCrunch2025"/> The company’s first commercial production line is scheduled to begin operation in mid-2025.<ref name="Newsweek2025">{{cite web |date=14 May 2025 |title=What is 'Super Wood'? New material strong as steel nears mass production |url=https://www.newsweek.com/super-wood-inventwood-construction-production-2072071 |website=Newsweek}}</ref> The initial market focus is on cladding and facade panels,<ref name="NewAtlas2025"/> and prototype parts are being evaluated for lightweight vehicle interiors, aircraft cabin components, and furniture.<ref name="Inc2025"/><ref name="Newsweek2025"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==See also==
*[Pulp and paper industry in the United States](/source/Pulp_and_paper_industry_in_the_United_States)

{{Forestry}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2016 establishments in Maryland
Category:Timber industry
Category:Agricultural economics
Category:Low-carbon economy
Category:Sustainable technologies
Category:Resource economics
Category:Wood products

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [InventWood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InventWood) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InventWood?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.