Effect of High-Temperature Hydrothermal Treatment on Chemical, Mechanical, Physical, and Surface Properties of Moso Bamboo

Abstract

Bamboo is an ideal material as it is green, fast-growing, and easy to process. However, the low dimensional stability may limit the application of bamboo due to its richness in hydrophilic groups. Thus, an effective and environment-friendly modification is needed to solve the aforementioned problems. This study employed high-temperature hydrothermal treatment for the modification of bamboo to offer technical support to further promote the application of bamboo materials. Bamboo was heated at various temperatures (120–160 °C) for diverse durations (60–120 min), and the chemical composition, mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and surface color were studied. Results revealed that the parenchyma cells of bamboo were deformed and the parenchymal cell lumen without starch granules after treatment at 160 °C for 120 min. The cellulose and hemicellulose content of bamboo decreased, and the lignin content increased in relative terms as the temperature and time of high-temperature hydrothermal treatment continued to rise. The mechanical properties of bamboo declined after high temperature hydrothermal treatment, and the modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of bamboo at 160 °C for 120 min decreased by 47.11% and 16.14%, respectively, compared to untreated bamboo. The swelling test indicated that the dimensional stability of the bamboo was improved, and the swelling ratio of the bamboo was reduced through the high-temperature hydrothermal treatment. The tangential and radial swelling coefficients of bamboo were reduced by 53.28% and 53.59%, respectively, after treatment at 160 °C for 120 min compared to untreated bamboo. The bamboo surface color was darkened after heat treatment, which gives the bamboo better surface decorative properties.