In situ detection of the fracture behaviour of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) by scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

The remarkable fracture toughness of bamboo culms is highly attributed to the proper embedding of the stiff fibre caps of the vascular bundles into the soft parenchyma matrix. In this study, the fracture behaviour of small specimens of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) in tension and bending were investigated in situ with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to visualise crack initiation and propagation within bamboo tissues and its interactions with the structural components (fibres and parenchyma tissues). Fracture surfaces were studied by field-emission SEM. The fracture of bamboo in either tension or bending was non-catastrophic, and cracks propagated in a tortuous manner with massive interfacial delamination. The stiff fibre bundles played an important role in restraining crack propagation, acting as bridges to inhibit cracks opening and also as “crack stoppers” inducing extensive crack-deflections. Microstructural analysis of the fractured surfaces revealed that substantial interfacial debonding, sliding and fibre pull-outs occurred at various length scales, which are believed to be effective in dissipating the crack energy. The synergistic effects of crack-deflection, crack-bridging and interfacial debonding are regarded to be mainly responsible for the remarkable fracture toughness of bamboo.

Utilization of Waste Bamboo Fibers in Thermoplastic Composites: Influence of the Chemical Composition and Thermal Decomposition Behavior

“…Thus, this method is suitable for determining the E a at different α for the thermal decomposition processes of various BFs. At a given conversion rate, the E a values were calculated from the slope of the linear portion and the intercept of the curve according to Equation (5). According to a previous study [35], the temperature used for composite processing does not exceed 10% conversion.…”

“…Bamboo is a renewable material and grows quickly compared to other plants. Additionally, bamboo possesses approximately 60% cellulose with high lignin content and a longitudinal alignment of fibers, which includes a relatively small microfibrillar angle [3][4][5], resulting in highly specific mechanical properties. In Taiwan, Makino bamboo (Phyllostachys makinoi), Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens), Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus), and Thorny bamboo (Bambusa stenostachya) are common economical and popular bamboo species.…”

“…Among these bamboo species, Moso bamboo is the most globally harvested bamboo. Therefore, several studies have investigated the chemical, anatomical, physical, and mechanical properties of Moso bamboo [4][5][6][7]. In Taiwan, production from Makino bamboo has accounted for more than 80% of gross bamboo production in the past decade [8].…”

Characteristic Properties of a Bamboo-Based Board Combined with Bamboo Veneers and Vacuum Heat-Treated Round Bamboo Sticks

“…Bamboo is widely distributed and abundant across Asia. Additionally, bamboo has highly mechanical properties due to the longitudinal alignment of vascular bundles in its tissue structure and has a chemical composition of 60% cellulose with a high content of lignin [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Therefore, bamboo has generally been recognized as a very promising alternative raw material for the manufacturing of construction materials.…”

“…Therefore, makino bamboo was processed into round bamboo sticks to prepare the bamboo stick board (BSB) in this study. Moso bamboo has been explored by many studies, since it is a widely harvested bamboo species commercially in Asia and has interesting chemical, anatomical, and physico-mechanical properties [ 2 , 3 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Additionally, the size of each part of moso bamboo is greater than that of makino bamboo, especially the culm wall thickness.…”