The world is becoming increasingly conscious of the environment and sustainability, leading to the development and use of bio-based composite materials.
These materials are being seen as a replacement for traditional non-renewable synthetic fibers like glass and carbon-reinforced composites, as well as materials like steel and concrete.
The market for biocomposites has been growing over the past decade, increasing from $4.46 billion in 2016 to well above $10 billion by 2024. It is projected to hit about $215.62 billion by 2034 as technological advancements accelerate market expansion, demand for lightweight and high-strength materials increases, and governments worldwide actively endorse the development of advanced biocomposites.
After all, biocomposites have many advantages over their conventional counterparts, including CO2 neutrality, high health safety, corrosion resistance, thermal insulation, lightweightness, low density, and less production energy.
That’s not to say that biocomposite materials don’t have their challenges. They actually face many drawbacks such as extraction, processing, manufacturing, low thermal stability, poor electrical properties, flammability, surface modification, and more.
Addressing these challenges and enhancing the mechanical properties of bio-based composites means studying their multiscale mechanics due to their complex hierarchical structure.
Unlike conventional composites, the properties of bio-based composites are influenced by the arrangement of components at multiple scales, not just at the macroscopic level.
For instance, the mechanical properties of wood are influenced by the arrangement of cellulose, lignin, and other components at different scales within the cell walls and between cells.
Here, multiscale mechanics analyzes the material’s behavior at different levels. This includes the nanoscale, which deals with the interactions between individual molecules and nanoparticles. At the microscale, the arrangement of fibers, cells, or other microcomponents is examined, while the mesoscale involves studying how the arrangement of these components affects the material’s overall properties. At the macroscopic scale, the overall behavior of the composite, such as its stiffness, is analyzed.
Executive research is ongoing to study and understand the multiscale mechanics of bio-based composites, providing unique insights into the underlying structure-property relationships.
This helps address the challenges with strength, durability, reliability, and sustainable production. Doing so will give us next-generation materials that are lightweight and tough, with functionalities that allow them to adapt and restore themselves.
Cutting-Edge Approaches in Wood Enhancement
When it comes to bio-based composites, cellulose-containing materials like wood have been seeing considerable interest due to their naturally complex internal architecture. Not to mention, a massive amount (about 181.5 billion tons) of wood is produced globally each year, providing one of the largest renewable material sources.
With mineral resources like coal, oil, and natural gas being extracted at continually rising rates, which is threatening the biosphere, the study of wood nano and microstructures has particularly intensified in the last decade.
As researchers at Kyoto University most recently noted:
“If we can ‘see’ what the eye cannot, we can extend the life of wooden structures and improve sustainability in the building industry.”
So, this team created an effective method1 to diagnose the almost invisible deterioration of wood before damage becomes irreparable. For this, they combined mid-infrared spectroscopy with machine learning to test artificially weathered wood coatings and coatings containing cellulose nanofibers to improve their durability.
Here, the partial least squares was used to build a model to predict the extent of deterioration, along with a genetic algorithm to identify the most informative infrared signals.
“We were surprised to find that very subtle chemical changes—far too small to detect visually—could be captured by infrared spectroscopy and predicted by the model.”
– Corresponding author Yoshikuni Teramoto
Meanwhile, a team of researchers at the University of Maryland took the route of genetically modifying poplar trees, instead of using chemicals, to produce high-performance, structural wood. Using base editing, they eliminated a key gene called 4CL1, resulting in poplars with 12.8% lower lignin content than wild-type poplar trees.
In yet another exciting study, materials scientists from Rice University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory used the wood waste to create an ink that can be used to 3D print wood-like objects.
This research used discarded material from woodworking, which was first chopped into fine dust and then mixed with chemicals to separate lignin and cellulose. These two elements were further broken into nanofibers and nanocrystals before being recombined and added to water to create a clay-like mixture.
The resulting mixture was used as ink in a 3D printer and then used to create several miniature tables and chairs. Employing a freeze-drying method removed the moisture from products, which were then cooked at 180 degrees Celsius to fuse the two polymers, resulting in a wood-like object.
The finished object was found to be six times as durable and three times as flexible as those made from original wood upon testing. They even smelled like natural wood. By manipulating the printing process, the team could also incorporate wood-like textures into their products.
Click here to learn about the transparent wood that can help substitute plastic.
Fortifying Wood with Nano Iron
Amidst all these high-tech approaches, another promising method that is low-cost and scalable has been explored to strengthen wood.
In this new study, researchers from the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University, along with those from the University of Miami and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, came together and modified oak wood with nanocrystalline ferrihydrite.
Ferrihydrite (Fh) is a widespread hydrous ferric oxyhydroxide mineral at the Earth’s surface, which is the precursor for most iron oxides in soil. It is a poorly crystalline iron oxyhydroxide nanomineral, which is known for its small particle size and large reactive surface area.
The idea behind this was to find out if incorporating hard minerals into the walls of the wood cells at the nanoscale would make them stronger without making the material expensive, heavy, or unsuitable for the environment.
While studies have looked into how treated wood performs at different scales, there aren’t many, and none that have actually made entire pieces of wood strong by adding inorganic minerals directly into their cell walls. According to the study’s senior author, Vivian Merk, Ph.D., who’s an assistant professor at FAU:
“Wood, like many natural materials, has a complex structure with different layers and features at varying scales. To truly understand how wood bears loads and eventually fails, it’s essential to examine it across these different levels.”
So, the researchers went on to investigate this, focusing on ring-porous wood. This type of hardwood comes from broad-leaf trees such as oak, walnut, cherry, and maple, whose wood features large, ring-shaped vessels that transport water from the roots to the leaves.
The researchers used red oak for their study, which is native to North America and is used for paper production and various construction purposes.
Using a simple chemical reaction, they introduced an iron compound into the wood. Here, ferric nitrate was mixed with potassium hydroxide to create ferrihydrite.
The team then studied the composite’s mechanical properties at various levels of organization. It revealed that an inexpensive chemical method using nanocrystalline iron oxyhydroxide has the ability to reinforce the wood’s tiny cell walls while adding just a small extra weight to it.
While depositing ferrihydrite nanoparticles inside the wood cell wall resulted in enhanced stiffness and hardness of the functionalized secondary cell wall, the overall behavior of the wood remained unchanged.
So, increasing the durability of the internal structure didn’t affect the way wood bends or breaks. This could be due to the treatment weakening the connections between each wood cell, which affected the way the material is bound on a larger scale.
The results suggest that it is possible to enhance the strength of wood and other plant-based materials with the right chemical treatment, without increasing weight or harming the environment. This highlights the potential of bio-materials to be used in place of concrete and steel in the future.
Click here to learn how mass timber is helping build wooden skyscrapers.
Multiscale Analysis of the Bio-based Composite
Given that cellular materials like wood are highly organized, hierarchical assemblies of load-bearing structural elements that respond to mechanical stimuli at the microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic scale, the team took a detailed look at the mechanics of bio-based composites using different methods. Merk noted:
“To test our hypothesis – that adding tiny mineral crystals to the cell walls would strengthen them – we employed several types of mechanical testing at both the nanoscale and the macroscopic scale.”
Tools used by the researchers include Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), a powerful technique that allows for imaging almost any type of surface, including ceramics, composites, polymers, glass, and biological samples.
Using AFM, the team analyzed the wood at a really small scale, enabling them to measure properties like elasticity and stiffness.
In particular, the AM-FM (Amplitude Modulation – Frequency Modulation) technique was used. This method vibrates the AFM tip at two different frequencies, with one generating detailed surface images while the other measures the elasticity and stickiness of the material. The technique provided them with a precise view of just how the cell walls changed when treated with minerals.
The team also performed nanoindentation tests within a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which produces sample images by scanning the surface with a focused beam of electrons that interact with atoms to produce various signals containing information about the surface topography and sample composition.
Here, the researchers pressed tiny probes into the wood to calculate its response force in different areas.
To round it all up, they then conducted standard mechanical tests like bending both treated and untreated wood samples to examine their strength and how they broke under stress.
“By looking at wood at different levels – from the microscopic structures inside the cell walls all the way up to the full piece of wood – we were able to learn more about how to chemically improve natural materials for real-world use.”
– Merk
Utilizing a combination of small-scale and large-scale testing actually helped them understand how the treatment affected both the fine details inside the cell walls and the overall strength of the wood.
“This research marks a significant advancement in sustainable materials science and a meaningful stride toward eco-friendly construction and design.”
– Stella Batalama, Ph.D., the dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science
She further noted that by using cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods to reinforce natural wood, this study lays the foundation for the next generation of bio-based materials with the potential to replace traditional materials in structural applications, such as bridges, buildings, flooring, and furniture. She added:
“The impact of this work reaches far beyond the field of engineering – it contributes to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, cut down on waste, and embrace sustainable, nature-inspired solutions for everything from buildings to large-scale infrastructure.”
Innovative Companies
1. Weyerhaeuser Company (WY -0.35%)
Now, if we look at prominent innovators in this field, Weyerhaeuser Company is a major timberland owner and wood products manufacturer. It owns or controls about 10.4 million acres of timberlands in the US and manages additional timberlands in Canada.
The company manages its timberlands on a fully sustainable basis and has been interested in developing bio-based materials. With a market cap of $18.79 billion, Weyerhaeuser shares are currently trading at $25.80, down 7.96% YTD. It has an EPS (TTM) of 0.50, a P/E (TTM) of 51.70, and an ROE (TTM) of 3.71% while paying a dividend yield of 3.24%.
Weyerhaeuser Company (WY -0.35%)
When it comes to financials, Weyerhaeuser reported net earnings of $396 million in 2024 or 54 cents per diluted share. Net sales for the full year were $7.1 billion, down $0.6 billion from 2023. Strong results were delivered from the Natural Climate Solutions business, which generated $55 million of operating income. Notably, the company remains on track to reach $100 million of Adjusted EBITDA by this year-end 2025.
“Our performance in 2024 reflects solid execution against a challenging market backdrop.”
– CEO Devin W. Stockfish
During this period, $735 million was returned in total cash to shareholders, which includes $153 million of share repurchases. A couple of months ago, Weyerhaeuser also announced a 5% increase in its base dividend. It marked the fourth consecutive year that the company increased its quarterly base dividend.
As for other developments, Weyerhaeuser received approval for its second forest carbon project, announced a strategic investment to build a new engineered wood products facility in Arkansas, and enhanced its Southern Timberlands portfolio with strategic transactions in Alabama.
“Entering 2025, our balance sheet is strong, and we are well positioned to capitalize as market conditions improve. We remain focused on achieving our multi-year targets, serving our customers and driving long-term value for our shareholders.”
– Stockfish
Q1 2025 results actually show this with net earnings being $83 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, on net sales of $1.8 billion.
During this period, its Timberland segment recorded moderately higher fee harvest and domestic sales volumes in the West while export sales volumes were slightly lower, especially to China. In the real estate, energy, and natural resources segment, the number of acres sold dropped, but the average price per acre was much higher. Sales realizations for lumber increased while log costs were moderately higher. Sales volumes for engineered wood products, meanwhile, were lower, and unit manufacturing costs increased.
2. 3M Company (MMM -0.73%)
Yet another prominent name in the field is the 3M Company, which is involved in the research and development of advanced materials, including nanocomposites and bio-based systems.
This diversified technology company has a market cap of $74.75 billion, with its shares trading at $138.91, up 7.61% year-to-date. It has an EPS (TTM) of 8.02, a P/E (TTM) of 17.31, and an ROE (TTM) of 94.75% while paying a dividend yield of 2.10%.
3M’s shares jumped after it maintained its full-year financial guidance despite tariffs and the trade war presenting new risks. The company is actually benefiting from carrying 90 days of inventory. However, it did acknowledge the risks and outlined strategies to manage the turbulent business environment, including optimizing its network, shifting production to different countries, and possibly imposing surcharges on certain customers.
Just this month, CEO Bill Brown said that they have “a very, very large U.S. footprint” and are “looking very carefully” at bringing more manufacturing here.
Having a portfolio of thousands of consumer and industrial products is what exposes 3M to a wide swath of the economy. As a result, its sales fell 1% in 1Q25 to $6 billion while adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations were $1.88, both beating estimates.
This comes after delivering double-digit earnings growth in 2024, during which $3.8 billion was returned to shareholders. For this full year, adjusted EPS went up 21% YoY to $7.30, sales dropped 0.1% to $24.6 billion, and cash from operations came in at $1.8 billion.
Conclusion
A vital natural resource, wood is valued for its strength, durability, sustainability, and affordability. It also plays a key role in bio-based composites, serving as a renewable and sustainable material that has the potential to replace conventional composites in various applications.
Here, the complex plant biomass, lignocellulose, is important as it forms the rigid structure of plant cell walls and allows wood to be integrated into composite materials. This crucial wood component can also be chemically modified to create advanced materials.
The latest research has used it to enhance the properties of wood, highlighting the role of hierarchical structuring in wood’s mechanical performance. It shows how nanoparticle reinforcement at the cell wall level can improve stiffness, as confirmed through nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy, without affecting its mechanical properties. This natural wood reinforcement showcases the potential of advanced bio-based materials, which can lead to sustainable infrastructure and a better future.
Studies Referenced:
1. Soini, S. A., Lalani, I., Maron, M. L., Gonzalez, D., Mahfuz, H., Domingo-Marimon, N., & Merk, V. (2025). Multiscale mechanical characterization of mineral-reinforced wood cell walls. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c22384