23/01/2025
Researchers created sharp wooden knives that can slice through steak.
This process involves a two-step approach where the wood is first treated to remove lignin, a component that contributes to wood's rigidity but reduces its strength.
This makes the wood soft and flexible. Then, it undergoes a hot press process, applying pressure and heat to densify the wood and remove moisture, resulting in a material that is 23 times harder than regular wood.
A knife made from this hardened wood is nearly three times sharper than a standard stainless-steel dinner knife — easily slicing through steak while remaining reusable and washable.
The team also created rust-resistant wooden nails with the same sharpness as steel nails, capable of hammering through wood without damage. The increased hardness comes from removing defects like voids and channels that naturally occur in wood, as revealed by high-resolution microscopy. This process has potential environmental benefits as it avoids the high temperatures required for forging steel or ceramic knives.
While the first step involves boiling the wood in chemicals, these could be reused, unlike the energy-intensive processes for creating other materials. This hardened wood could have various applications beyond knives and nails, including durable flooring and other items that require resistance to wear and tear.
The researchers believe this method unlocks the potential of cellulose, the main component of wood, which possesses a higher strength-to-density ratio than many engineered materials. This process strengthens wood by densifying its structure, creating a strong, sharp, and potentially more sustainable material.
Learn more: https://phys.org/news/2021-10-hardened-wooden-knives-slice-steak.html
