Forget Steel—Superwood Is Coming!

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Superwood — The Next-Gen Material You Need to Know

Forget the old-school headline—this isn’t just “bulletproof.” Let’s get real: Superwood is engineered timber that smashes expectations—stronger than steel, lighter than its name suggests, fire-resistant, and carbon-smart.

What’s Superwood, and Where Did It Come From?

• Origin Story: Developed by materials scientist Liangbing Hu at the University of Maryland, the process removes lignin from regular wood, then compresses the remaining cellulose fibers under heat. The result? A denser, tougher material with exceptional bonds at the molecular level. MaterialDistrict+5woodandpanel.us+5Yahoo Finance+5Wikipedia+9A. James Clark School of Engineering+9Wikipedia+9

• Commercial Launch: InventWood, the startup behind it, is ramping up mass production in mid-2025—backed by about $50 million in funding including U.S. Department of Energy grants. inventwood.com+9Wall Street Journal+9Fast Company+9

What Makes It Special?

• Strength & Weight:

  • 50% stronger than structural-grade steel on a direct strength comparison.

  • 10× better strength-to-weight ratio than steel. That means a lighter structure with equal or superior performance. GlobalSpec Insights+9Wikipedia+9inventwood.com+9Fast Company+1

• Fire & Environmental Resistance:

  • Earned a Class A fire rating. The outer surface carbonizes in fire, protecting the core—no sagging like steel. natpoint.com+3inventwood.com+3Wall Street Journal+3

  • Immune to rot, pests, water damage, and fungal decay when polymer-treated. MaterialDistrictGlobalSpec InsightsWikipedia

  • Retains the natural grain and warmth of wood—with richer hues from compression. A. James Clark School of Engineering+5MaterialDistrict+5inventwood.com+5

  • Carbon-locking: harvests atmospheric CO₂ and turns it into a durable building material. MaterialDistrict+2Wikipedia+2

Construction Use Cases & Cost Perspective

• Applications: Ideal for architectural facades, siding, decking, fencing, and potentially structural components. InventWood is initially targeting cladding before scaling to load-bearing uses. Wikipedia+8Wall Street Journal+8TechCrunch+8

• Cost Dynamics: The strength-to-weight advantage means performance-adjusted cost could fall between $1.25 to $2.50 per pound—making it competitive with high-end hardwoods. American Hardwood Information Center+5Fast Company+5TechCrunch+5

Why Builders Should Care

• Use Superwood to replace steel or tropical hardwood in sustainable builds—without sacrificing durability or aesthetics.

• Its fire resistance and environmental advantages tick growing compliance and ESG boxes.

• Architects and fabricators can lean into its natural beauty—no paint needed, customizable, and warm to the touch.

🛠️ Can You Work With It Like Normal Wood?

Yes. One of the design goals of Superwood was to keep it as user-friendly as possible. According to InventWood, it can be cut, drilled, fastened, and finished with standard woodworking tools — saws, drills, planers, routers. The compression process makes it denser than hardwood, so blades will dull faster (think cutting oak vs. pine), but you don’t need exotic machinery. That makes adoption easier for contractors who already have the basics in their shop.

🏗️ Where Can You Get It?

Right now, Superwood is only being rolled out in limited pilot projects and pre-production runs through InventWood, the University of Maryland spin-off. Their first large-scale manufacturing plant is slated to ramp up in mid-to-late 2025. At that point, expect availability through specialty suppliers in the U.S., likely starting with commercial projects (cladding, facades, high-profile sustainability builds) before it trickles down to general contractors or big-box retailers. If you want early access, the best move is to contact InventWood directly to get on their partner or pilot project list.