Effect of drying method on the surface color of Bambusa textilis McClure

Abstract

Five drying methods on the Bambusa textilis McClure (BTM) were carried out to obtain a suitable drying method for surface color preservation and to reveal the discoloration mechanism of BTM, including air drying, conventional drying, dehumidification drying, vacuum drying and freeze drying. Following the results, the chromaticity changes of BTM after drying in five drying methods were 13.70, 17.03, 15.00, 17.96 and 23.89, respectively. The micromorphology and chemical composition analysis showed that the bamboo surface was wrinkled and some substances containing chromogenic groups were removed after drying, resulting in the BTM less light-reflective and the change of surface color. On balance, dehumidification drying was a better option for preserving the color of BTM since it had a chromaticity change of 15.00, a drying cycle of 11 h, and great mechanical properties.