Abstract
Bamboo strips extracted from Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens, grown in Europe, were analysed to assess their thermal and mechanical properties for composites application. Thermal stability of the European bamboo was studied by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and compared to the one of species grown in Oceania. An evolution of the chemical composition along the radial direction of the Phyllostachys bamboo was identified by TGA. The inner part of culms shows a higher proportion of hemicelluloses, while the percentage of crystalline cellulose is higher in the outer portion. This evolution of the composition was used to interpret the original data recorded by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) of the strips. Glassy tensile modulus founded by DMA increases from the inner part of the culm (6.8 GPa) to the outer part (9.9 GPa). The variation of the cellulose content along the radius of the bamboo culm is related to this increase and shows a good correlation with thermal behaviour. The dynamic relaxations in the shear mode reveal the existence of two secondary relaxation modes sensitive to water. In the order of increasing temperatures, they have been assigned to the mobility of methylol groups and to heterogeneities of the polymeric matrix. By combining Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and DMA, the response of the viscoelastic transition of bamboo strips, at 210 °C, was evidenced for the first time. Bamboo strips behave as a unidirectional composite reinforced by technical fibres; its particularly high shear glassy modulus (2.3 GPa) deserves to be emphasised.
Highlights
The depletion of fossil resources is pushing mankind to turn to renewable solutions to produce new organic composites
The temperature of degradation of lignocellulosic materials is governed by the decomposition of their main constituents: hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin
The thermal stability of bamboo is a key factor for composite processing
Summary
The depletion of fossil resources is pushing mankind to turn to renewable solutions to produce new organic composites. The use of natural resources has already shown its potential in many areas [1, 2]. The growing interest in materials based on renewable resources, like natural fibres reinforced composites, is reflected in the number of publications over the last few years [3,4,5,6]. Phyllostachys bamboos, an Asian species grown in Europe, were the most studied species during these framework programs. Depuydt et al investigated the potential of Phyllostachys bamboos for composite applications [10]. They showed that bamboo grown in Europe has fibres with reasonable mechanical properties, and depending on the species, they have a Young’s modulus comparable to tropical species. Natural fibres have interesting physical and mechanical properties, combined with a reduced environmental impact, enabling them to respond to societal issues
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