Toothbrush Mug Made of Liquid Beechwood

This recently developed thermoplastic material can be processed like conventional thermoplastics, for instance in injection moulding; otherwise it displays the mechanical and thermal characteristics of wood. But regarding the haptic and optical qualities, it is not quite the equal of the original material, in this case beechwood (shavings). As far as environmental compatibility is concerned, it is vastly superior to thermoplastics made of plastic and is in fact completely biodegradable, which is why it is increasingly used as a replacement for plastic in equipment construction and instrument manufacturing, especially for housings.

In order to produce liquid wood, wood fibres are mixed in a matrix of lignin, one of the main components of wood, a copiously occurring by-product of cellulose production. But other fibres can be used as well, like flax or hemp. By heating, a fibre composite is created which like synthetic thermoplastic can be machine processed into shaped parts, but which unlike the thermoplastics is compostable. Another advantage, especially for travel items, is its weight: liquid wood is lighter than plastic materials.