Revolutionary Wooden Knife Outperforms Steel Blades in Sharpness and Strength
Discover the breakthrough in material science where researchers have developed a hardened wooden knife that surpasses steel in durability and sharpness, offering a sustainable alternative for kitchen tools.
Similarly, wooden nails can be crafted that remain sharp even after hammering wooden boards together.
Today, most kitchen knives are made from metals or ceramics; however, researchers from the University of Maryland have demonstrated that hardened wood can effectively replace these materials. Their findings reveal that this specially treated wood is 23 times harder than regular wood and produces knives nearly three times sharper than comparable steel blades.
The study, published in the journal Matter, highlights that cellulose—the primary component of wood—has a higher strength-to-density ratio than many industrial materials. Despite this, current wood applications do not fully exploit its potential.
The key lies in the composition of wood: only 40 to 50% is strong cellulose, while the rest consists of weaker components like hemicellulose and lignin. The process of hardening wood involves removing these weaker elements through two stages. First, partial delignification softens and makes the wood more flexible. Then, under high heat and pressure, water is extracted and the material is compressed, resulting in a dense, hardened wood.
After treatment, the wood can be shaped into any desired form. The researchers tested not only a wooden knife that effectively sliced medium-rare steaks but also wooden nails that joined three planks together without dulling.
Items made from hardened wood demonstrate impressive durability—they can be washed and require sharpening only occasionally, according to the study authors.
The research team is currently investigating the recyclability of the chemicals used in the wood treatment process and the energy required. This will help assess the environmental impact of this innovative method compared to traditional manufacturing techniques.
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