Self-bonding technology is a facile and green molding approach to obtain eco-friendly and formaldehyde-free bamboo self-bonded composites (BSCs), yet the manufacture process is still immature. Here, the effects of processing parameters (moisture content of bamboo powders, hot-pressing temperature, and preset density) were comprehensively examined on the microstructure, physical properties, and mechanical properties of the BSCs for use in furniture. It was found that the optimum water resistance and mechanical properties were achieved for the BSCs made of bamboo powders of 40% moisture content. Higher temperature and preset density facilitated the formation of a more compact structure, leading to remarkable improvement in water resistance and mechanical performance. Given energy saving, the recommended processing parameters of the BSC manufacture were 40% moisture content of bamboo powders, 200 °C hot-pressing temperature, and 1.0 g/cm 3 preset density, yielding high-performance BSCs with a thickness swelling of 12.8% and internal bonding strength of 0.71 MPa, which were comparable to commercial furniture-grade medium-density fiberboards. The colorful patterns could be successfully printed by a UV inkjet printer on the BSC surface and exhibited good paint film adhesion, which holds great potential for application in furniture.
Parenchyma cells (PCs) and bamboo fibers (BFs) are the
main component
units of natural bamboo. However, PCs have long been discarded as
waste during the industrial processing and utilization of bamboo,
i.e., papermaking, textile, and composites, because of their inferior
mechanical properties and higher hygroscopicity compared to the BFs.
Here, we proposed to mechanically separate PCs from BFs and subsequently
recombine them to generate formaldehyde-free bamboo self-bonding composites
(BSCs), which physical–mechanical properties were tuned for
the first time by adjusting the PC content. The PC effects were examined
on the formation and material properties of the BSCs in terms of microstructure
and physical–mechanical properties. Microscopic observation
revealed that PCs with a high cavity-to-cell wall ratio were more
likely to deform and bridge adjacent particles during hot pressing,
thus forming a dense interlocking structure with heat-sealed points
between the BFs. The inclusion of the PCs into the BSCs led to much
lower water absorption and thickness swelling than without the PCs.
The BSCs containing 40% BFs and 60% PCs had a thickness swelling of
13.3%, fulfilling the performance requirements of commercial high-density
fiberboards used in humid environments. The 40% BFs/60% PCs made BSCs
also exhibited the highest flexural strength, flexural modulus, and
internal bonding strength, increasing by 99.8, 60.8, and 189.9%, respectively,
compared with sole BF-made BSCs. The eco-friendly and formaldehyde-free
BSCs with tunable properties are promising for use in furniture, packaging,
and interior decorations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.