Tag Archives: Wood

Discover Sunscreens with Ground Wood That Achieve SPF 180+ Protection

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Natural Sunscreen

Exploring Innovative Natural Sunscreens

Amparo Garcia/Shutterstock

Recent research highlights that sunscreens enhanced with lignin, a natural polymer found in wood, can achieve an impressive sun protection factor (SPF) exceeding 180. This innovative ingredient also promises longer-lasting effects and lower skin penetration compared to conventional sunscreens, potentially offering a safer alternative.

While sunscreen is crucial for skin cancer prevention, there is growing concern about its safety. A recent survey revealed that 14% of young adults mistakenly believe daily sunscreen use poses more risks than direct sun exposure.

This confusion stems from findings by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which confirmed that some common sunscreen ingredients can enter the bloodstream. However, long-term studies have shown no significant health risks associated with regular sunscreen use, prompting the FDA to call for further investigation.

In response, researchers are actively seeking natural alternatives to traditional sunscreen chemicals that are not only safer for human health but also less harmful to coral reefs and marine ecosystems.

Among the most promising natural ingredients is lignin, known for reinforcing plant cell walls and shielding them from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

One major challenge lies in extracting lignin from wood without altering its color. Conventional methods often use harsh chemicals, turning it from a light hue to dark brown, rendering it unsuitable for sunscreen applications.

Researchers from South China University of Science and Technology have successfully developed a milder extraction technique. Led by Jun Lee, the team extracted pale yellow lignin from poplar trees using crushing and sieving methods, followed by ultrasound treatment. Another group, led by Yong Qian, utilized a similar approach to harvest pale pink lignin from birch trees.

The extracted lignin was then transformed into nanoparticles and blended with standard white creams to formulate sunscreen products.

Tests indicated that the pale yellow lignin sunscreen achieved an SPF of 20, while the pale pink version reached an SPF of 19, providing moderate protection against harmful UV rays and blending seamlessly with various skin tones for a smooth application.

While these lignin-based sunscreens do not match the high protection levels of many commercial products (often SPF 50 or higher), the research team experimented by encapsulating popular sunscreen agents, avobenzone and octinoxate, within lignin nanoparticles. This innovative combination produced an astounding SPF of over 180. However, it’s essential to note that sunscreen labels cannot exceed SPF 50 due to regulatory guidelines.

Encapsulating these ingredients in lignin nanoparticles not only enhances their stability under sunlight but also minimizes skin penetration, thus potentially increasing safety.

Qian has reported that ongoing trials of one lignin-based sunscreen formulation indicate it is safe and effective, contributing to the search for healthier sunscreen options.

In addition to lignin, other naturally sourced ingredients like those derived from seaweed, ferns, squid, and even human hair are being investigated for sunscreen applications.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Ancient Ice Age civilizations constructed elaborate fireplaces primarily fueled by wood burning

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Archaeologists discovered and analyzed three hearths at the Upper Paleolithic site of Korman ‘9 (45,000-10,000 years ago) on the right bank of the Dniester River in Ukraine. Their findings show that ice age humans built different types of hearths, using mostly wood, but perhaps using bones and fat to burn fire.

Murphy et al. Provides a high-resolution Earth Character Study on three combustion features related to the profession of Epigravet on the Kolman 9 site in Ukraine, with age dropping to the last glacial maximum.

It is widely assumed that an important tool for human survival, especially in cold weather, is the ability to create, maintain and use fires.

Many literature provides data on the benefits of fire use regarding human evolution and its fundamental function in everyday life.

More recent research also shows the labor-intensive nature of using fireworks. The implication of fire use was not only an essential survival tool, but also played an important role in the way hunter-gatherer groups organize themselves.

This includes how hunter-gatherers acquire resources such as wooden fuel, how to initiate and maintain a fire if they store or cache fuel materials for future use, or how sites and activities are organized around the combustion function.

“The fire didn’t just keep it warm. It was also essential for cooking, making tools and social gatherings,” said Dr. Philip R. Nigust, an archaeologist at the University of Vienna.

“We know that fires have spread around this period, but there is little evidence from the height of the ice age,” added Dr. William Murfrey, an archaeologist at the University of Algarve.

In the current study, the researchers focused on the archaeological site of Komann 9 in Ukraine.

“Korman ‘9 is an Upper Paleolithic site on a north facing terrace on the right bank of the Dniester River in Ukraine,” they said.

“This site was discovered in 2012 while researching a site along the Dniester River.”

Through microstratigraphic analysis, microtransfer and colorimetric analysis, scientists have identified three flat wood furnaces.

One interesting discovery to come is that these fires have reached temperatures above 600 degrees Celsius, demonstrating a sophisticated mastery of fireworks even in the face of extreme environmental stresses.

The analysis also shows that humans use wood as the main fuel during peak ice ages, and charcoal analysis indicates spruce wood. However, other fuels such as bones and fat may be used.

“Some of the animal bones found on the site were burned in the fire at temperatures above 650 degrees Celsius,” said Dr. Majolaine D. Bosch, a museum of the University of Vienna zoo physician, Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Museum of Natural History.

“We are currently investigating whether they are being used as fuel or if they were accidentally burned.”

All three fireplaces are open and flat. However, the new results suggest that fire use was refined as it is likely that fireplaces were constructed and used in different ways each season.

One of the three fireplaces is large and thick, suggesting that a higher temperature was achieved here.

“People had full control over the fire and knew how to use it in a variety of ways depending on the purpose of the fire,” Dr. Nigust said.

“However, our results also show that these hunter-gatherers used the same location at different times of the year during their annual migration.”

Survey results Published in the journal Geography.

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William Chase Murfrey et al. 2025. The use of fires during the last Glacier largest era: evidence from the epigravet of Kolmann 9 in the Middle Donierster Valley in Ukraine. Geography 40(2): E70006; doi: 10.1002/gea.70006

Source: www.sci.news

Rice and egg whites transform wood into a translucent window alternative

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A nest box with windows made of transparent wood arranged with heat lamps to test the thermal properties of the material

Bharat Baruah et al. (2025)

The windows and smartphone screens can one day be built from clear wood mixed with egg whites and may be safely composted at the end of life.

Researchers are interested in using wood to make biodegradable alternatives to glass with better insulating properties or replacing plastics with electronic devices. Wood was previously transformed into a transparent material by altering or removing organic polymer lignin from it and injecting epoxy as a replacement, which produces a non-biodegradable product.

now Bharat Baruah Kennesaw State University in Georgia and his colleagues have developed a process of replacing synthetic epoxy with natural egg whites and rice extracts.

“[Previous examples of transparent wood are] It’s very difficult to integrate, it’s difficult to make, and you spend a lot of time, energy and money making them, so we thought of making something that can be easily made naturally,” says Barua.

He was urged to use egg whites in his home building in Assam, India, which dates back to the 1500s, using a cement-like mixture containing sand, sticky rice and egg whites. “It was cement from the time and those buildings are still there,” Barua says. “They are still there, over the fourth century and beyond, and after the fifth century, but that has always been fascinating to me.”

The team ingested a sheet of balsa wood, soaked sodium sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and diluted bleach in a vacuum chamber, removing lignin and hemicellulose, leaving only a paper-like cellulose structure. The voids of the ingredients were then filled with a mixture of rice extract and egg whites and then dried in an oven at 60°C (140°F) to create a translucent plate with a slight brown tint. “It’s not 100% transparent, but it’s translucent,” says Barua. “And it’s biodegradable.”

Barua and his colleagues built a small birdhouse equipped with clear wooden windows as a basic mockup, and found to remain cool at 5-6°C (9-11°F) when exposed to heat lamps than the same birdhouse equipped with glass windows. The study will be presented today at the American Chemical Society’s Spring Conference in San Diego, California.

Barua said further research will investigate technologies to improve the strength and thermal properties of the material, as well as transparency.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New study finds solid wood surfaces exhibit natural antiviral characteristics

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In a recent study, researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland examined the antiviral properties of different types of wood, including coniferous and deciduous trees, against coronaviruses and enteroviruses.

Shroff othersScots pine and Norway spruce were found to have excellent antiviral activity, especially against enveloped viruses, with onset within 10-15 minutes. In contrast, other hardwoods showed mixed efficacy, and oak showed effectiveness against enteroviruses. Image courtesy of Schroff. others., doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c02156.

Since ancient times, wood has played a vital role in tools, utilities, and construction.

The 20th century witnessed a depletion of wood resources, prompting the emergence of alternatives like plastics and metals for interior surfaces and fixtures.

A growing concern for sustainability and the unique qualities of wood has led to a resurgence in its use across various applications.

The 21st century has brought new health challenges, including viral outbreaks like SARS and COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of surface hygiene.

Viruses can persist on surfaces as fomites, with enveloped viruses having shorter survival times compared to non-enveloped viruses.

Wood has been known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties, but its antiviral capabilities were not thoroughly explored until this study.

Researchers investigated how different types of wood affect the infectivity of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.

The study found that certain types of wood could significantly reduce viral infectivity within hours, showcasing their potential as natural antiviral materials.

Their research paper was published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

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Reference: Sailey Shroff et al. (2024). Inactivation of coronaviruses and enteroviruses on solid wood surfaces depending on wood species. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(23), 29621-29633. doi:10.1021/acsami.4c02156

Source: www.sci.news

Recycled wood ink used to 3D print miniature furniture

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Miniature chairs and tables 3D printed from scrap wood

Thakur et al., Sci. Advanced 10, eadk3250 (2024)

Recycled wood can be turned into ink for 3D printing, potentially providing more sustainable ways to manufacture furniture and build homes.

“Wood has been used for architectural and structural purposes for centuries,” he says. Muhammad Rahman At Rice University, Texas. However, processing the material is not very efficient as engraving the material to size can result in a large amount of waste.

To utilize this leftover material, Rahman and his colleagues split it into lignin and cellulose (key molecules in wood’s hard structure) and broke these down to form nanofibers and nanocrystals. . The cellulose and lignin were then recombined with water to create a clay-like substance that could be used as an ink.

The researchers used this material to 3D print objects by forcing it through a nozzle and building up layers of ink.

To increase the strength of the 3D printed objects, the team freeze-dried them to remove water, then immediately heated them to 180°C (356°F) to soften the lignin and fuse it with cellulose. Ta.

“In fact, we can mimic all the visual, textural and olfactory properties of natural wood,” says Rahman. The product was found to be approximately six times more durable than natural balsa wood in compression tests and up to three times more durable in bend tests.

So far, researchers have been able to use the ink to create miniature furniture and honeycomb structures, but they hope it could eventually be used to build larger objects such as houses. ing.

“We need to rethink how we build structures without cutting down trees,” Rahman says. “If instead of traditional manufacturing he could use 3D printing to recycle waste wood, that would be a good step forward.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Lingrove secures $10 million funding to expand its carbon-negative wood alternative

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These days, even niche industries are concerned about people seeking greener material and process options, from washing machine waste to synthetic wool. ring glove uses laminates (thin layers of wood or other materials) with carbon-negative options that they claim will improve performance while still looking the same.

Laminate or veneer is common in every home and car. These are thin decorative pieces of wood that are placed over the molded or printed bodies of dashboards, appliances, and even home trim. It’s everywhere, but unfortunately, it’s not always sustainably sourced or manufactured.

Lingrove has developed an alternative to wood veneer from flax fibers and plant-based resins. This will be a material that is carbon negative yet has “very high stiffness, durability, and durability,” meaning it will be better for feel, temperature, and other materials (such as coffee). ). They call it “ekoa” (yes, in lowercase) and hope to expand into cars and other interior surfaces with a new $10 million funding round.

The Series B round was led by Lewis & Clark Agrifood and Diamond Edge Ventures, with participation from Bunge Ventures and SOSV.

The company claims that its materials are not only environmentally friendly and comparable or better in terms of strength etc., but can also have a positive impact on indoor air quality. Recycled plastics and other repurposed materials are often used for things like cabinetry and trim, but such surfaces often lack the desired appearance, hardness, and other qualities, and in some cases, There can be quite a bit of fumes (that’s the “new car smell”). ).

Image credits: ring glove

“We have healthy air, low carbon, high performance and beautiful products,” said CEO Joe Luttwak. “The use of industrial raw materials can be environmentally beneficial in some cases. However, many of their byproducts still emit VOCs. [volatile organic compounds] These negatively impact indoor air quality and cannot produce high-performance materials. ”

ekoa material has excellent performance, does not allow strange gases to seep into your kitchen or car cabin, and looks almost the same as regular wood. It can be fine-tuned to have different shades and opacity, has all the benefits of engineered laminates while generally being carbon negative, and can be crushed and reused when disposed of.

Image credits: ring glove

You may be wondering, like I did, why not just use real wood, i.e. things like sawdust and wood chips that already come out of the industrial wood treatment process. According to Luttwak, these are perfectly good structural materials, the ones in the center of the board, but they are not decorative. There’s a reason things like MDF boards tend to have at least one side covered in veneer. The interior wood glue mixture is unappealing and not particularly resistant to solvents, oils, etc.

Veneers aren’t the hottest or most exciting business to work on, but innovation is happening in a corner of the industry where smart alternatives can scale up to millions of products and at least reduce waste a little. It’s always reassuring to see that.

The new investment should help the startup go from small-scale in-house manufacturing to fulfilling all pre-orders and expanding into the automotive world.

Source: techcrunch.com