Get the latest tech news

Transparent bamboo: A fireproof and waterproof alternative to glass


Glass might soon have some competition from an unlikely rival – bamboo. Scientists in China have turned regular old bamboo into a transparent material that’s also resistant to fire and water, and suppresses smoke.

Scientists in China have turned regular old bamboo into a transparent material that’s also resistant to fire and water, and suppresses smoke. After the lignin is removed, the bamboo is infused with an inorganic liquid sodium silicate, which changes the light refraction of the fibers to make it clear. The end result is a three-layered structure – silane on the top, silicon dioxide in the middle, and sodium silicate on the bottom.

Get the Android app

Or read this on r/tech

Read more on:

Photo of alternative

alternative

Photo of Fireproof

Fireproof

Photo of Transparent bamboo

Transparent bamboo

Related news:

News photo

China's homebrew Bluetooth alternative is on the march as Beijing pushes universal remotes

News photo

GNU Shepherd 1.0 Service Manager Released As "Solid Tool" Alternative To systemd

News photo

Vipps MobilePay launches the world’s first alternative to Apple Pay on iPhone