The age of value-added wood products is here, with global researchers working to develop the next generation of new products from trees—including Nyxlon, a super-black woody product that absorbs 99% of light and can be used as a replacement for rare ebony and rosewood timbers.
The amazing find was made by researchers at the University of British Columbia, Texas A&M and the Australian National University, who discovered a new type of wood material, several shades darker than the darkest shade of paint – opening up new markets for fine jewellery, solar cells and optical devices.
Wood Central understands that the discovery was made “by accident” after Professor Philp Evans and PhD candidate Kenny Cheng from the University of British Columbia were together working with high-energy plasma to make wood more water-repellent:
“Ultra-black or super-black material can absorb more than 99% of the light that strikes it—significantly more so than normal black paint, which absorbs about 97.5% of light.”
Dr Philip Evans, Professor of Forestry and BC. Leadership Chair in Advanced Forest Products Manufacturing Technology.
Super-black materials are highly sought in astronomy, where ultra-black coatings on devices help reduce stray light and improve image clarity. They also improve the efficiency of solar cells and are used in art watches and jewellery – with researchers now looking to produce a range of watches made from the material.
Nxylon can be used as a substitute for onyx in watch faces and jewellery.
Already, researchers have trademarked Nxylon (or niks-uh-lon), so named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night, and xylon, the Greek word for wood. Most surprisingly, Nxylon remains black even when coated with an alloy, such as the gold coating: “This is because Nxylon’s structure inherently prevents light from escaping rather than depending on black pigments,” the UBC researchers said.
In addition, the researchers demonstrated that Nxylon can be used as a substitute for rare and expensive black woods like ebony and rosewood, both for watch faces and in jewellery as a replacement for black gemstone onyx.
“Nxylon’s composition combines the benefits of natural materials with unique structural features, making it lightweight, stiff, and easy to cut into shapes,” Dr Evans said, adding that the new material was made from lower-value basswood: “a tree widely found in North America and valued for hand carving, boxes, shutters, and musical instruments, Nxylon can also use other types of wood, such as European lime wood.”
Dr Evans plans to launch a startup, Nxylon Corporation of Canada, to scale up Nxylon applications in collaboration with jewellers, artists, and tech product designers. He also plans to develop a commercial-scale plasma reactor to produce larger super-black wood samples suitable for non-reflective ceiling and wall tiles.
“Nxylon can be made from sustainable and renewable materials widely found in North America and Europe, leading to new applications for wood,” Dr Evans said. “The wood industry in BC is often seen as a sunset industry focused on commodity products—our research demonstrates its great untapped potential.”
Dr Evans on the future of wood products.
- To learn more about the future of wood-based products and material science’s role in developing new products, visit Wood Central’s special feature.
