Researchers say they have created a new super-material in the laboratory. They say it is stronger, lighter and costs less than steel. But the new material is not a product of high technology or a metallic substance. It is wood. Researchers Liangbing Hu and Teng Li are with the University of Maryland in the United States. By using a few chemicals, heat and pressure, they have made wood three times denser and 10 times stronger. Hu says that means it can compete with some of the world’s strongest materials. We're interested in replacing steel and carbon fibers with strong wood structures, he said. The process does not require any special raw, unprocessed material. Hu said that means the cost of the product will be relatively low.