Humidifying and softening processes of recombinant bamboo

Abstract

Recombinant bamboo has many good properties, such as nice outlook, fine phisical properties. However, recombinant bamboo has a low moisture content and high density. To determine changes in the weight gain rate and to provide temperature and hardness guidance for humidifying and softening recombinant bamboo, the technique of pressure impregnating and water softening with different pressures and temperatures were conducted. Results showed that with an increase in pressure and time, the weight gain rate increased, but above 1.2 MPa increases in the weight gain rate were not obvious. For the water softening process, with increases of temperature and time, the weight gain rate increased, but slowed after 36.0 h; the internal temperature was stable after 8.0 h. Compared to the control, pressure impregnating and water softening decreased hardness 36.2%. Also, compared to the control group, the crack test showed that crack length increased 21.1% and crack width increased 16.7%. Thus, the manufacturing process had a great positive softening effect on recombinant bamboo, and it had a small nagetive effect on crack length and width with recombinant bamboo surfaces.[Ch,4 fig. 2 tab. 16 ref.]