Scientists have designed 'transparent wood' that could replace conventional glass in windows.

科学家研发出了可以替代传统窗玻璃的“透明木材”。

The innovation was developed using wood from the balsa tree, which is native to South and Central America, and claims to be five times more thermally efficient than glass.

The team treated balsa wood in an oxidizing bath that bleaches it of nearly all visibility and then penetrated it with a synthetic polymer called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) - creating a product that is virtually transparent.

Unlike traditional glass, the transparent wood can withstand much stronger impacts and will bend or splinter when damaged, instead of shattering.

The transparent wood was created by teams at the University of Maryland and University of Colorado, which set out to find a greener alternative to conventional glass – a production that creates 25,000 tons in emissions each year.

Along with contributing to greenhouse gases, glass contributes to a loss of energy.

'Residential building windows in particular account for 10–25% of the heat loss due to their poor thermal management capability,' the team wrote in the study.

'Exploring energy efficient window materials is thus highly desirable to address heating costs, energy shortages, and the global impact of climate change associated with increased carbon emissions.'

The team notes that the bonding between PVA and cellulose in the wood, creates a tightly packed structure that allows for more thermal protection and makes it more durable and lighter than glass.

'Switching to transparent wood could prove to be cost efficient as well,' researchers shared in a statement.

'It is approximately five times more thermally efficient than glass, cutting energy costs.'

'It is made from a sustainable, renewable resource with low carbon emissions. It's also compatible with existing industrial processing equipment, making the transition into manufacturing an easy prospect.'