Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology - IIT have developed a method that allows solid wood to become temporarily flexible and be shaped into complex forms without cracking or damaging its natural structure.

The technology could open new opportunities for the wood industry, particularly in furniture manufacturing, interior design, curved wood components, musical instruments and other high-value wood products.

The study, titled Uniform plasticization enabling large deformation of intact wood, was published in the scientific journal Communications Materials, part of the Nature portfolio. The research was carried out by IIT's Smart Materials unit in Genoa, coordinated by Athanassia Athanassiou.

🪵 How the new flexible wood technology works

The core of the process involves a mixture of Cyrene and water. Cyrene is a cellulose-derived solvent developed as a potentially lower-impact alternative to conventional petroleum-based solvents.

By impregnating wood with this mixture, the material temporarily becomes more flexible, allowing significant deformation, including bending and twisting.

Once the desired shape has been achieved, the wood is dried. During this phase, the material stabilises in its new geometry while retaining the structural architecture and mechanical characteristics associated with untreated wood.

The research indicates that the treatment significantly reduces wood stiffness while the material is wet, allowing substantially greater flexibility without visible cracking or structural degradation after the solvent has been removed.

🌲 Why this matters for the wood industry

Bending wood into curved forms is not new, but traditional production methods can require steam, high temperatures, mechanical pressing, lamination or adhesives.

According to IIT researchers, some existing processes can involve significant energy consumption or petroleum-derived chemicals. Certain techniques may also alter material properties or reduce some of the sustainability advantages associated with natural wood.

The new process proposes an alternative that could reduce energy requirements while avoiding permanent petroleum-based adhesives inside the material.

For manufacturers of furniture, timber components, interior fittings and specialist wood products, the ability to produce complex geometries from solid wood could create new product categories and potentially reduce dependence on laminated or composite materials.

🔬 Potential for higher-value wood products

Applications mentioned by the research team include furniture, interior design, musical instruments and toys, but the technology may eventually become relevant to a wider range of wood-related applications.

Manufacturers working with curved components or customised geometries could particularly benefit from greater design flexibility.

For the European wood industry, this type of innovation is relevant at a time when manufacturers are increasingly focused on obtaining more economic value from the same volume of timber raw material.

This development also fits within the wider trend towards advanced wood materials and engineered wood products. WoodBusinessPortal.com has recently analysed the recovery of European demand for softwood lumber, engineered wood products and wood-based construction materials.

🏗 Wood is becoming an increasingly sophisticated engineering material

The development of CLT, glulam, LVL and other engineered wood products has already significantly expanded the range of applications in which wood can compete with steel, concrete, plastics and composite materials.

The new IIT research follows a different approach: temporarily modifying the flexibility of solid wood without destroying its natural structural organisation.

This is also relevant from a circular economy perspective. According to IIT, wood treated using the process remains biodegradable because the method does not require the introduction of permanent synthetic adhesives.

At the same time, new wood-processing technologies must be considered alongside raw material availability and timber costs. WoodBusinessPortal.com closely follows these developments, including in its analysis of high log prices across Europe and growing pressure on lumber producers.

📈 From laboratory research to industrial wood production

The technology is not yet available as a large-scale industrial manufacturing process. The method is currently being patented and further optimisation is expected before the most suitable commercial applications can be identified.

This distinction is important when evaluating its potential economic impact. The research demonstrates technical feasibility, but industrial costs, processing times, solvent recovery and reuse, productivity and scalability will need to be assessed before widespread commercial adoption.

If the process can be scaled economically, it could create opportunities for manufacturers of furniture, specialist joinery, curved components and high-value wood products.

For the European market, where interest in renewable and lower-carbon materials continues to grow, technologies that increase the performance and versatility of timber could support additional applications for wood.

The wider market context is examined in the WoodBusinessPortal.com report The Wood Market in 2026: Romania and Europe - Prices, Demand and Industry Trends, which looks at timber prices, demand, production, imports, exports and pressures affecting the European wood industry.

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Sources:
Scientific study and technical data regarding the Cyrene-based wood treatment: Communications Materials
Official information about the technology, potential applications and patenting process: Italian Institute of Technology
Public reporting on the research and its principal applications: ANSA