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Sounds cool until you read the article and realize it’s just wood with epoxy in it, so basically plastic
by TedShiller 6y ago
Sounds cool until you read the article and realize it’s just wood with epoxy in it, so basically plastic
- Blikkentrekker 6y agoThis article suggests that it's better to make windows of than glass. So why are windows not made of plastic as we speak, very often?
- bagacrap 6y agoScratch prone?
- AmericanChopper 6y agoA plastic window would need to be quite thick to be as rigid as a glass window. A plastic window would also scratch more readily, and it would likely degrade in the sun (become translucent rather than transparent). It’s not obvious to me that this wooden material somehow wouldn’t have the same problems.
- blacksqr 6y agoBecause the UV wavelengths in sunlight discolor and degrade most plastics over time. Which raises the question of whether the same thing happens with this product, and if not, why not.
- akiselev 6y agoThey are - plexiglass. It’s just more expensive so only worth it for the shatter resistance at i.e. banks or stores in bad neighborhoods.
- jfim 6y agoLexan (polycarbonate) is actually used for that purpose. Plexiglas (acrylic) is also transparent, but not as resistant to impacts.
- sudosysgen 6y agoPlastic is more expensive, easily scratchable, and isn't as rigid as glass. Glass makes a lot more sense unless there is a very high risk of it shattering.
- thysultan 6y agoPlastic is more expensive?
- giantg2 6y agoThe last time (before the pandemic even) I looked at glass and acrylic/polycarbonate sheets for a project, the glass was cheaper for a similar size. Maybe there are other plastics out there that are cheaper, but I'm not sure that they are suited for similar use. If they are suited to this type of use and are cheaper, then someone can make a good fortune if with the right marketing.
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- anfilt 6y agoAlso plastics scratch more easily. Something like plexy glass also breaks pretty easily similar to normal glass. Poly carbonate is much stronger but also quite expensive even when compared to normal glass. It also scratches easily.
- willyt 6y agoAlso because plastic gets scratched easily by dust blown in the wind, after about 10-15 years you can’t see through it.
- h0l0cube 6y agoSand mining is causing environmental degradation around the world, to river beds, agricultural lands, etc. Taking that out of the equation could be a net benefit. Especially if it's at least as permanent as glass.
- gbrown 6y agoAt least glass is basically perfectly recyclable though.
- h0l0cube 6y agoI think both creating and recycling glass requires intense heat, and so a large energy input. This process seems to very low energy requirements.
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- sp332 6y agoSure but you could also just make a window out of plastic.
- Dylan16807 6y agoHow much does it cost to get sand out of a safe area? I bet it's cheaper than making this.
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- hanniabu 6y agoSounds like a horrible product once reaches the environment. At least glass isn't much of an issue and wood would just decompose.
- ashtonkem 6y agoGlass doesn't decompose, it gets eventually pulverized back into sand (naturally or manually). The issue with glass though isn't how it's handled once we're done with it. The issue with glass is energy loss. We lose a huge amount of energy to the windows in our home, and it might be worth it to make wooden window panels if it means that we end up consuming less energy HVACing our homes. Especially since house windows can be expected to last for decades, which amortizes their disposal cost nicely.
- visarga 6y agoNo need to ditch glass for that reason. Use triple pane windows, they also block noise and have perfect seals.
- morsch 6y agoIn fact, triple pane windows are mandatory for all new construction in the EU as of this year[1]. I think double pane windows have been mandatory for years. Modern triple pane windows have less heat loss than the walls of most buildings built a couple of decades ago. [1] https://www.buildup.eu/en/practices/publications/directive-201031eu-energy-performance-buildings-recast-19-may-2010 https://www.buildup.eu/en/practices/publications/directive-2...
- andrew_ 6y agoThe R value of wood is not great [1] and would depend on the type of wood used and thickness. Double pane windows tend to have an R value of 1-2, which increases if filled with a gas [2]. Your hypothesis that we'd curb more energy loss is a bit misplaced without more nuance. [1] https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/types-homes/energy-efficiency-log-homes#:~:text=The%20R%2DValue%20of%20Wood&text=The%20R%2Dvalue%20for%20wood,and%200.71%20for%20most%20hardwoods https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/types-homes/energy-effici.... [2] http://www.engext.ksu.edu/buildingenvelope/windowsanddoors http://www.engext.ksu.edu/buildingenvelope/windowsanddoors
- adrian_b 6y agoYes, the material described there is not wood but an epoxy-based composite reinforced with wood fibers instead of glass fibers, like in PCBs, or carbon fibers, like in high-strength composites. The only remarkable thing is that they have succeeded to match so well the refractive index of the epoxy resin to that of cellulose and bleached lignin, so that the composite is a clear transparent material instead of being just diffuse translucent, like most composites. This might make this composite a better choice than polycarbonate or acrylic glass in many applications. They should have given a comparison between the properties of the new transparent material and those of polycarbonate, because that is their main target market, not glass. Anorganic glass cannot be replaced by polymers in many applications, due to requirements for chemical resistance or high temperature resistance.
- giantg2 6y ago"This might make this composite a better choice than polycarbonate or acrylic glass in many applications" It'd be great if it was cheaper. Even before the demand from the pandemic those were expensive.