High-Temperature Drying of Bamboo Tubes Pretreated with Polyethylen Glycol Solution

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop a new drying technology in order to quickly and massively dry bamboo tubes without crack and check. The bamboo tubes with the diameter of 45 mm - 68 mm had been impregnated in the solution of PEG-1000, and then were dried under room temperature and high temperature, respectively. The cracks occurred on all control specimens while no cracks were found on PEG treated specimens during drying at room temperature due to effect of PEG restraining the circumferential shrinkage of bamboo tube. But the drying period of this method was too long (200 days) compared to 10 hours of kiln drying. During fast high temperature drying, cracks occurred on all control specimens, but no cracks were found on PEG treated specimens, which could be accounted for more solidified PEG due to higher drying temperature and faster drying rate, and the tension set formed on the surface of bamboo tube in the early stage of drying owning to high drying temperature and low relative humidity. Thus, it is advised that PEG treated bamboo tube should be fast dried at high temperature in order to not only prevent crack or check in short drying period but also increase the dimensional stability of the products made of bamboo tubes.