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We are investigating techniques to impart new functions to wood by impregnating wood with chemical liquid.

Recently, the researchers have developed a technique to make light permeability using this technology.

Fig. 1 Mechanism of light transmission (left) and sample (right)

Achievements:

1. Patent No. 6020882: Method for reforming plant-based materials, 2016
2. Partial transparency of compressed wood, Hiroyuki Sugimoto and Masatoshi Sugimori, AIP Conf. Proc., 1736, 020135, 2016
3. Optical transparency of the impregnated and compressed wood, Hiroyuki Sugimoto, Takuya Rikitake, Keiko Ishino and Masatoshi Sugimori, Proc. 2nd Intern. Symp. Wood Sci. and Crafts.、156-159
4. Japanese opened Patent Application No. 2016-132100: Production method of plant-based material having optical transparency, and thereby obtained plant-based material having light permeability
5. Observation of disadvantages occurring in bending wood process and longitudinal compression of wood with different heating methods, Hiroyuki Sugimoto, Masatoshi Sugimori, Shiho Izumi, Journal of Forest biomass utilization journal, 10 (1), 13-18, 2015.
6. Superplastic deformation of solid wood by slipping cells at sub-micrometer intercellular layers. Int. J. of Nanotech.，11,509-519,2014.
7. Wood friction characteristics during exposure to high pressure: influence of wood/metal tool surface finishing conditions、J. Wood Sci.、59(1), 10-16.
8. Patent No. 5327791: Method for making molded body from plant material and molded body obtained by that method, 2013
9. Patent 5327791: Flow molding of wood with solvent, 2013