Blockworks UK / Research & Development
The Stab Lab
Research-driven innovation focused on the future of stabilised wood.
Explore the workEvery project begins with a question. Some explore how timber can be better prepared. Others focus on the chemistry that transforms it, while a few simply test the limits of what can be stabilised. Together, these three strands create a continuous process of discovery, where each experiment informs the next.
Timber prep
The XCD Process
Rethinking timber preparation from the cell wall outwards.
XCD is our ongoing research into preparing timber before resin stabilisation. By studying how extractives, moisture and wood anatomy influence resin movement, we’re developing industry breaking processes that improve consistency, penetration and the performance of the finished material.
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Resin Development
Designed alongside the process, not around its limitations.
The future of wood stabilisation lies in engineered chemistry rather than compromise. Our resin development programme combines polymer science, materials engineering, arboriculture and extensive practical testing to create formulations engineered specifically for timber, not adapted from other industries.
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Open research
Stabilised Steak
Pushing materials into places they were never meant to go.
Not every experiment is intended to become a product. Some simply exist to answer a question. From steak and bananas to Weetabix and other unconventional materials, these projects challenge our assumptions, test new ideas and often lead to unexpected discoveries that influence our wider research.
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