Scientists have created a wooden knife that is much stronger and sharper than steel

Today, the vast majority of kitchen knives are made from metals or ceramics, but the authors of a new studyHardened wood as a renewable alternative to steel and plastic from the University of Maryland are confident that hardened wood can replace these materials. According to them, it is 23 times harder than a regular knife, and a knife made from it will be almost three times sharper than its counterpart made of steel.

Scientists described their research in the journal Matter. There it saysthat cellulose, the main component of wood, has a higher strength-to-density ratio than most other materials used in manufacturing. However, the current use of wood does not reveal its potential.

The thing is that strong cellulose in wood is only 40 to 50%, while the other components, hemicellulose and lignin, are weaker. When hardened wood is obtained, these components are removed. This happens in two stages: at the first, scientists partially delignify the wood in order to make it more soft and flexible, and then, under the influence of a hot press and high pressure, remove water and seal material.

After these processes, the wood can be given any desired shape. In their study, scientists tested not only a wooden knife, which cut perfectly steaks medium-rare, but also nails - they hammered together three bars, and they did not dull at the same time.

Hardened wood items can be quite durable - they can be washed and only occasionally sharpened, the study authors added.

Now a team of scientists is studying how often the chemicals used in processing can be reused, and how much energy is required for this. This way they will be able to assess the impact of this method on the environment compared to traditional ones.