Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

DOI 10.1007/s00226-014-0683-7

ORIGINAL

Fabrication, material properties, and application

of bamboo scrimber

Yanglun Yu • Rongxian Zhu • Binglin Wu •

Yu’an Hu • Wenji Yu

Received: 4 November 2013 / Published online: 1 November 2014

Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Abstract In this study, mechanical fluffing, thermal treatment, and phenol form-
aldehyde (PF) impregnation, as well as cold-in and cold-out hot-pressing processes,
were used to fabricate bamboo scrimbers. The water absorption, dimensional sta-
bility, and mechanical properties of the bamboo scrimbers were determined. The
bamboo scrimber made from bamboo bundles processed at 180 °C hot dry air
treatment combined with 18 % PF resin loading showed good technological prop-
erties. This bamboo scrimber had improved water absorption, as well as thickness
and width swelling behavior, which is favorable for application to outdoor land-
scaping, exterior decoration, and garden furniture. The bamboo scrimber made from
bamboo bundles processed at 0.35 MPa saturated steam treatment showed excellent
mechanical strength, which is favorable for structural application.

Introduction

Over the past decades, scientific and technological research has moved toward
renewable raw materials and processes that are relatively environmentally friendly

Y. Yu (&)  R. Zhu  B. Wu  Y. Hu  W. Yu (&)

Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Technology of State Forestry Administration, Research
Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xiang Shan Road, Haidian District,
Beijing, China
e-mail: yulunzi@163.com
W. Yu
e-mail: yuwenji@caf.ac.cn

Present Address:
Y. Yu  W. Yu
Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Technology of State Forestry Administration, Research
Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xiang Shan Road, Haidian District,
Beijing, China

123
84 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

and sustainable (Cai et al. 2007). The use of natural plant fibers as reinforcement in
polymer composites to fabricate engineering materials has generated much interest
in recent years (Kalia et al. 2009). Bamboo, which is a sustainable resource,
abundant, and biodegradable, is widely used in producing bamboo-based compos-
ites, such as plywood, laminated lumber, particle board, and fiber-reinforced
polymer composites (Jiang 2007; Abdul Khalil et al. 2012; Liu et al. 2012). The
market size for bamboo products increased to 122.4 billion RMB or 19.7 billion US
dollars in 2012 according to State Forestry Administration of China (2012), which
made the bamboo industry a forestry highlight in China.
A bamboo scrimber, which is similar to the scrimber developed in Australia, is a
novel engineered composite made from parallel bamboo bundles. Compared with
other bamboo composites, the bamboo scrimber has comparatively higher raw
material utilization rate because it has relatively more raw material sources
including small-sized bamboo culm (Jiang 2007). The bamboo scrimber has a
desirable texture, high hardness, and longitudinal strength properties. It can be used
for flooring, furniture, building, and other civil engineering applications. Approx-
imately 60 bamboo scrimber manufacturing enterprises currently exist in China with
an annual capability of 600,000 m3 (Yu and Yu 2013).
Bamboo scrimbers have been studied since the 1980s (Wang 1889). These
studies mainly focused on the use of bamboo without removing its waxy layer, as
well as the siliceous outer and inner layers, to produce low-density (\0.90 g/cm3)
bamboo scrimbers. Therefore, those bamboo products were not adopted by the
industry because of their poor bonding strength (the waxy and siliceous layers
considerably affect adhesiveness) and surface appearance (highly uneven surface of
the composites and many spaces between the elements) (Ye et al. 1991; Nurgroho
and Ando 2000, 2001; Yu et al. 2006). To date, considerable research achievements
have been reported. Numerous industrial equipment such as bamboo fluffing
machine, cold-press machine, cold-press mold, special curing kiln, multilayer hot-
press with water cooling system, and hot-press mold with movable stop lever have
been developed (Yu 2012). A bamboo scrimber is usually made from bamboo
bundles treated with water-soluble phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin and compressed
to the desired specific gravity and thickness. The forming process mainly includes
cold molding, hot curing, and hot-pressing (Fig. 1). The density of a bamboo
scrimber can be increased to 1.05–1.25 g/cm3, thereby solving the problems on
bonding strength and poor surface appearance of a bamboo scrimber. Consequently,
the bamboo scrimber has been successfully commercialized and rapidly developed
in China. To remove the effect of the waxy and siliceous outer layer of bamboo on
its adhesiveness, as well as to maximize the use of bamboo, the bamboos are divided
into two parts in almost all of the manufacturing enterprises. One part (approx-
imately 2–5 mm thick and close to the outer layer of the moso bamboo
(Phyllostachys pubescens)) is used to manufacture bamboo mat and curtain, which
are popular bamboo products because they are warm in winter and cool in summer
as well as suitable for bedding and furnishing materials. The other part (constitutes
80 % of the weight of bamboo), which is close to the inner layer of bamboo that is
also called the inner bamboo sliver, is used to manufacture the bamboo scrimber.

123
 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

Fig. 1 Process flow diagram of bamboo scrimber

85

123
86 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

However, achieving dimensional stability of a bamboo scrimber is a challenging

task, which limits its industrial application, specifically as an outdoor material. The
present study aimed to determine the effects of thermal treatment and PF loading on
the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of a bamboo scrimber.

Materials and methods

Matrix

The PF polymer is an aqueous solution of a completely water-soluble, virtually

unpolymerized PF mix supplied by Beijing Dynea Chemical Industry Co. The trade
name of the PF polymer is PF16L510, with the following parameters: 45.59 % solid
content, viscosity of 36 cP (at 25 °C), and pH 10.45.

Bamboo bundles

The green bamboos were supplied by Longyou Andy Bamboo Co., Ltd. in Zhejiang,
China. The bamboo was sawn into a 2,600-mm-long bamboo tube and then split
longitudinally into several bamboo strips (Fig. 1A–C). Each bamboo strip was then
separated into two parts, namely the outer and inner bamboo slivers (Fig. 1E1, E2).
The outer bamboo can be used as bamboo curtain and bamboo mat. Then, the inner
bamboo sliver was pushed into the fluffer along the longitudinal grain direction to
form a series of linear cracks along the fiber direction (Fig. 1F), thereby forming
net-structured bamboo bundles. The maximum diameter of fiber bundles was
between 2.80 mm and 4.65 mm with moisture content of approximately 35 %.

Thermal treatment

According to actual industrial production and previous studies (Qin et al. 2013;
Zhang et al. 2013), two available thermal treatments, namely saturated steam
treatment (SST) and hot dry air treatment (HDAT), were employed for the bamboo
bundles.
SST: The green bamboo bundles were treated with 0.35 MPa saturated steam for
150 min in a horizontal pressure vessel (Yangzhou mingxin pressure vessel CO.,
Ltd, in Jiangsu, China) (Fig. 1H). The treated bamboo bundles were then dried to an
approximate moisture content of 10 % in a drying oven at 85 °C (Fig. 2d).
HDAT: The green bamboo bundles were dried to an approximate moisture
content of 6 % at 85 °C in a drying oven. The dried bamboo bundles were treated
with hot dry air (180 °C) for 10 h in a thermal treatment furnace (Yangzhou
mingxin pressure vessel CO., Ltd, in Jiangsu, China), wherein the oxygen content
was controlled at 2.5 %. After the thermal treatment, the moisture content was
reconditioned to 10 % in air (Fig. 2e).
Control: The green bamboo bundles were dried to approximately 10 % moisture
content at 85 °C in a drying oven for comparison (Fig. 2c).

123
Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98 87

Fig. 2 Bamboo scrimber and bundle from moso bamboo. a Bamboo strip, b bamboo sliver, c control
bamboo bundle, d SST bamboo bundles (bamboo bundles treated with SST), e HDAT bamboo bundles
(bamboo bundles treated with HDAT), f control bamboo scrimber, g SST bamboo scrimber (bamboo
scrimber made from SST bamboo bundles), and h HDAT bamboo scrimber (bamboo scrimber made from
HDAT bamboo bundles)

The bamboo bundles from the control and thermal treatments were obtained. As
shown in Fig. 2(c–e), the bamboo bundles became brown after thermal treatment.
However, the HDAT bamboo bundles were darker in color and more brittle than
those of the other treatments. The HDAT bamboo bundles were also critically
degraded.

PF resin loading

The impregnation process was employed to load the PF polymer. To obtain the
desired resin loading, the solid content of the PF polymer was adjusted to different
concentrations as shown in Table 1. The bamboo bundles were then immersed in
various concentrations of PF resin and soaked for 6 min at room temperature. The
bamboo bundles were subsequently taken out and placed vertically for various times
(leaking time in Table 1) to remove excessive resin. The amount of resin loading

123
88 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

Table 1 Parameters of resin impregnation process and actual amount of resin loading
Types of bamboo Designed resin Resin solid Soaking Leaking Actual resin
bundles loading content (%) time (min) time (min) loading (%)

Control 4 12.14 6 6.72 3.92

Control 6 15.14 6 5.39 5.81
Control 8 18.16 6 6.88 8.10
Control 12 24.25 6 7.84 12.41
Control 16 30.15 6 6.31 16.25
Control 18 33.07 6 6.58 17.75
SST 4 12.14 6 6.48 4.31
SST 6 15.14 6 5.21 5.86
SST 8 18.16 6 6.65 7.83
SST 12 24.25 6 7.58 11.42
SST 16 30.15 6 6.97 15.72
SST 18 33.07 6 6.06 17.35
HDAT 4 12.14 6 6.50 3.91
HDAT 6 15.14 6 6.95 5.60
HDAT 8 18.16 6 8.70 8.24
HDAT 12 24.25 6 7.60 12.57
HDAT 16 30.15 6 6.98 15.94
HDAT 18 33.07 6 6.36 17.63

was adjusted to around 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, and 18 % of the oven-dry weight of the
bamboo bundles by adjusting leaking times. The glued bamboo bundles were dried
in an wire belt dryer at 60 °C to obtain a moisture content of 12 % (Fig. 1J).
According to previous studies (Cheng et al. 2009; Meng et al. 2011), the amount
of resin loading can be determined by the following equation:
ðm2  m1 Þx
M¼  100 %
m1 ð1  aÞ
where M represents amount of resin loading, m1 is the mass of bamboo bundle
before immersion in resin, m2 is the mass of bamboo bundle after immersion in
resin, x is the solid content of resin, and a refers to the moisture content of bamboo
bundle before immersion in resin.
As stated above, the amounts of resin loading can be controlled by the solid
content of resin and weight gain. In this study, the weight gains were controlled by
the time of removing excessive resin as the immersed bamboo bundle samples were
placed vertically. The actual amounts of resin loading as well as other parameters
during resin loading are reported in Table 1.

Bamboo scrimber preparation

The cold-in and cold-out technology was used in the hot-pressing process. The
bamboo bundles were weighed according to the desired density and then assembled

123
Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98 89

along the grain direction in the hot-pressing mold with movable stop lever
(Fig. 1K2). Movable stop lever is a setup that can move to adjust the height of
bamboo scrimber during pressing process. The mat was sent into the press, when the
temperature of the hot plate was 60 °C. The pressure and temperature were
increased because of the introduction of superheated vapor to the press. When the
hot plate made contact with the stop lever, the pressure was kept at 6.5 MPa and the
temperature at 140 °C to cure the mat for 30 min. Cold water was then introduced
into the press to reduce the temperature to 60 °C, and then, the pressure was
released. Finally, the cured mat was removed from the press, and a bamboo
scrimber was obtained (Fig. 2f–h). The nominal dimensions of the bamboo scrimber
were 2,600 mm 9 1,300 mm 9 16 mm (length 9 width 9 thickness) with a den-
sity of 1.15 g/cm3. Five replicate samples were prepared, tested, and analyzed. All
specimens were conditioned in a room under controlled environment at 20 °C and
65 % relative humidity (RH) for 2 weeks prior to testing.

Testing of bamboo scrimber

Water absorption and dimensional stability

The water absorption, thickness swelling, and width swelling of the bamboo
scrimber in wet and dry states were tested. A minimum of 10 samples were tested in
each case. The water absorption of the bamboo bundles was also tested.
The absorbed water (A), thickness swelling (T), and width swelling (W) were
tested according to the procedure in ASTM D-1037. The tests were conducted using
rectangular strips of smaller size (50 mm 9 50 mm 9 15 mm) compared to the
ASTM procedure. All specimens were conditioned at 20 ± 2 °C and RH of
65% ± 2 % prior to testing.
Water boil proof (WBP) treatments, which were designed to simulate weather
exposure over sustained periods, were conducted to evaluate dimensional stability in
accordance with the Chinese National Standard for bamboo scrimber and bamboo
scrimber flooring (GB/T30364-2013). The samples were subsequently immersed in
boiling water for 4 h, dried in a ventilated drying oven for 20 h at 60 ± 3 °C,
immersed in boiling water for another 4 h (wet state), and then dried in the
ventilated drying oven for 20 h at 60 ± 3 °C (dry state). Prior to the water
treatment, the length and width of the marked area were measured to an accuracy of
±0.1 mm.

Water absorption

The amount of absorbed water was calculated using the following equation:
M1  M0
Að%Þ ¼  100
M0
where M0 is the weight prior to the test, and M1 is the weight (g) after the wet state
test.

123
90 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

Thickness swelling

The thickness swelling tests were conducted in wet and dry states.
The wet thickness swelling was calculated using the following equation:
T1  T0
Twet ð%Þ ¼  100
T0
where T0 is the thickness before the test, and T1 is the thickness after the wet state
test.
The dry thickness swelling was calculated using the following equation:
T2  T0
Tdry ð%Þ ¼  100
T0
where T0 is the thickness prior to the test, and T2 is the thickness after the dry state
test.

Width swelling

The width swelling tests were also conducted in wet and dry states.
The wet width swelling was calculated using the following equation:
W1  W0
Wwet ð%Þ ¼  100
W0
where W0 is the width prior to the test, and W1 is the width after the wet state test.
The dry width swelling was calculated using the following equation:
W2  W0
Wdry ð% ) ¼  100
W0
where W0 is the width prior to the test, and W2 is the width (mm) after the dry state
test.

Mechanical testing

Two types of mechanical testing, namely bending and shear, were conducted. A
minimum of 10 samples were tested in each case.

Bending test

The bending test was performed in accordance with ASTM D-1037 using a standard
material testing machine (MWD-W10, Jinan Shiguang Testing Instrument CO., Ltd,
in Shandong, China). The bending test was performed using rectangular strips
(360 mm 9 50 mm 9 15 mm). The dimensions of the samples were measured and
recorded. The samples were tested at a crosshead speed of 10 mm/min and span of
300 mm. All specimens were conditioned at an ambient temperature of 20 ± 2 °C
and RH of 65 ± 2 % prior to testing.

123
Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98 91

Shear test

The shear test was performed in accordance with ASTM D2344 using the same
equipment as in the bending test. The shear test was performed using rectangular
strips (90 mm 9 40 mm 9 15 mm). The dimensions of the samples were measured
and recorded. The samples were tested at a crosshead speed of 5 mm/min and span
of 60 mm. All specimens were conditioned at an ambient temperature of 20 ± 2 °C
and RH of 65 ± 2 % before testing.

Results and discussion

Water absorption

Water absorption affects the physical properties of the bamboo scrimber as well as
the matrix structure and fiber–matrix interface, resulting in the change in
dimensional, mechanical, and physical properties of the bulk material. The effects
of thermal treatment and PF resin loading on water absorption of the bamboo
scrimber and bundles are shown in Fig. 3.
The water absorption of the bamboo scrimber decreased considerably compared
with that of the bamboo bundles. At a PF resin loading of approximately 18 %, the
water absorption of the bamboo scrimber was 3.0, 3.7, and 7.2 times lower than
those of the control, SST, and HDAT bamboo bundles, respectively. This
remarkable improvement is attributed to the water resistance of the cured PF resin
and densification of the bamboo bundles. A bamboo is a naturally porous fiber
composite that contains a high proportion of hydroxyl group, which absorbs
moisture or water through the formation of hydrogen bonds (Abdul Khalil et al.
2008). A bamboo also has parenchyma tissues and vessel, which behave like a
sponge (Abdullah et al. 2012) and allows easy absorption of water. When bamboo
bundles are made into a bamboo scrimber, most of the cracks formed during the
fluffing process are healed, and the parenchyma tissues and vessel of bamboo are
densified during the hot-pressing process. In addition, some covalent chemical
bonds might be formed between PF and the natural polymers in bamboo. The

Fig. 3 Water absorption of the

bamboo scrimber and bamboo
bundles

123
92 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

hydroxyl groups in bamboo might be cross-linked with the formaldehyde moiety of

the resin. The detailed chemical analysis between bamboo fiber and PF resin will be
carried out in later study.
The water absorption of the bamboo scrimber improved remarkably by HDAT
bamboo bundles. No obvious differences were observed between the bamboo
scrimbers in the control and SST bamboo bundles. These observations were
attributed to the severity of the thermal treatment applied to the bamboo bundles.
The SST was 140 °C for 150 min, while the HDAT was 180 °C for 10 h. More
thermal degradation is expected for the HDAT. Similar results were also reported in
oriented strand board (OSB) from thermally treated wood chips (Paul et al. 2007)
and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) made by thermal treatment of rubber wood
fibers (Ayrilmis et al. 2011), in which the permeability of bamboo bundles was
improved. After the impregnation, densification, and curing process, PF resin was
permeated in the lumen of the parenchyma tissues and vessels. The lumen was then
densified, thereby incorporating the PF resin within the parenchyma tissues and
vessels, which consequently improved water and moisture resistance. The decrease
in hydrophobic components and increase in hydrophilic components further
enhanced water resistance (Qin et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2013).
A high PF resin loading level resulted in low water absorption of the bamboo
scrimber, which is strongly dependent on resin loading. Higher compatibility was
observed between the hydrophilic fiber and PF resin for a scrimber when a higher
resin loading level was used. Otherwise, the lack of adhesive between the bamboo
bundles can lead to the formation of void structures within the composites, which
facilitates water absorption.

Dimensional stability

Thickness swelling

The effects of thermal treatment and PF resin loading on the thickness swelling of
the bamboo scrimber are shown in Figs. 4a, 5a and 6a.
Increased resin loading of the bamboo scrimber resulted in water resistance. As
the PF resin loading was increased, the wet thickness swelling of the bamboo
scrimber was significantly decreased, indicating an increase in stability (Fig. 4a). At
18 % PF resin loading, all the wet thickness swellings of the bamboo scrimbers in
the control, SST, and HDAT bamboo bundles were more than three times lower
than the samples with 4 % PF resin loading, respectively. Similar results were
obtained in a study by Abdullah et al. (2012) where the thickness swelling of an oil
palm trunk polymer composite decreases as the PF resin loading increases. The PF
resin increases dimensional stability by penetrating and swelling the cell wall,
reducing hygroscopicity and forming a rigid cross-linking network upon curing
(Abdul Khalil et al. 2010; Gabrielli and Kamke 2010). Higher resin loading
increases the amount of adhesives adsorbed on the surface of the bamboo bundles,
which permeate the cracks and pores during impregnation. These adhesives are
solidified and anchored during hot-pressing to prevent spring back after WBF
treatment.

123
Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98 93

Fig. 4 Swelling of the WBP-treated bamboo scrimber at the wet state. a Thickness swelling, b width
swelling

Fig. 5 Relationship between swelling and water absorption of the WBP-treated bamboo scrimber.
a Thickness swelling, b width swelling

Fig. 6 Swelling of the WBP-treated bamboo scrimber at the dry state, a Thickness swelling, b width
swelling

Significantly, high wet thickness swelling (42–56 %) was found in the bamboo
scrimber made from bamboo bundles without thermal treatment at low resin loading
(from 8 to 4 %) (Fig. 4a). After thermal treatment, wet thickness swelling decreased
dramatically. The mean wet thickness swelling of the bamboo scrimber made from

123
94 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

HDAT bamboo bundles was 60 % lower than that of control. Furthermore, thermal
treatment had a pronounced impact on wet thickness swelling, where HDAT was
more effective than SST. This result is due to the degradation of hydrophilic cell
wall constituents (Yu 2012), specifically hemicelluloses, and the increase in
hydrophobic lignin (Qin et al. 2013) by deep level thermal treatment. Thermal
treatment is used to treat wood and bamboo to increase water resistance and
dimensional stability.
A good correlation between the thickness swelling and water absorption was
observed (Fig. 5a).
The dry thickness swelling of the bamboo scrimber is shown in Fig. 6a.
Determining the dry thickness swelling of the bamboo scrimber provides more
suitable information on its performance in practical use than just the wet thickness.
In practical application, specifically exterior applications, the material is exposed to
frequent moisture changes, which indicates that moisture penetration is followed by
a dry phase, leaving the composites in a swollen state. The dry and wet thickness
swellings showed similar tendencies as effect of thermal treatment and PF resin
loading (Figs. 4a, 6a). However, the dry thickness swelling is relatively smaller. The
swelling of densified wood is composed of reversible and irreversible swelling,
where reversible swelling is due to hydroscopicity and irreversible swelling caused
by the compression set recovery (Fang et al. 2011). A bamboo scrimber is a novel
type of densified bamboo, which is also composed of reversible and irreversible
swelling.

Width swelling

The effect of thermal treatment and PF resin loading on the width swelling of the
bamboo scrimber is shown in Figs. 4b, 5b, and 6b.
Similar results were found for the width swelling of the bamboo scrimber with
increased PF resin loading. However, a significant difference was found in the
thickness swellings between the thermal treatments of bamboo bundles. The width
swelling of the bamboo scrimber made from SST bamboo bundles was slightly
higher than that of the control bamboo (Fig. 4b).
In all samples, irrespective of resin loading and thermal treatment, the width
swelling of bamboo scrimber is significantly lower than the thickness swelling
(Fig. 4). This result is due to the deformation of the bamboo cell lumen during
formation. The density of the bamboo scrimber was increased to approximately
1.15 g/cm3. The lumen bamboo was compressed and became thinner, which was
due to compression deformation, while it became wider because of the stretching
deformation under high-pressure hot-pressing. Therefore, the stress stored in the
bamboo scrimber along the thickness direction was greater than that along the width
direction. The tendency to spring back in the thickness direction is stronger than in
the width direction when exposed to a drastic condition.
A good correlation between the width swelling and water absorption was
observed (Fig. 5b).
The dry width swelling of the bamboo scrimber with 18 % PF resin loading was
negative (Fig. 6b). This width expansion phenomenon is similar to the so-called

123
Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98 95

Fig. 7 Bending properties of bamboo scrimber. a Bending strength, b bending modulus

linear expansion in particleboard and OSB. Due to the Poisson effect, large
irreversible thickness swell often causes a negative change in width. Actually, this
effect is common in particleboard and OSB.

Mechanical properties

The effects of thermal treatment and PF resin loading on the mechanical properties
of bamboo scrimber are shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Bending properties

The bamboo scrimbers made from control, SST, and HDAT bamboo bundles along
with the bamboo strip and bamboo sliver with PF underwent bending tests. The tests
were performed to investigate the effects of thermal treatment of bamboo bundles
and PF resin loading on the mechanical properties of the bamboo scrimber. Figure 7
shows the bending strength and bending modulus of the bamboo scrimber was
similar to the bamboo strip and bamboo sliver.

Fig. 8 Shear properties of

bamboo scrimber

123
96 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

The bending mechanical properties of the bamboo strip were higher than that of
the inner bamboo sliver, which was caused by the removal of the part close to the
outer layer of bamboo that is removed for the manufacture of bamboo curtain and
bamboo mat (Fig. 7a).
The results show that the mean bending strength of bamboo scrimber made of
control bamboo bundles increased by 34 % compared with that of the inner bamboo
sliver. This result is attributed to the densification of the bamboo cells during the
manufacturing process of the bamboo scrimber.
In the present study, the bending strength of all bamboo scrimbers with PF resin
slightly decreased in the following order: control, SST, and HDAT bamboo bundles.
Compression failures were observed on the bamboo material but not on PF resin of
the bending specimen. This observation could have been caused by the fact that the
PF resin, when properly cured, is often tougher than the bamboo even at 4 % resin
loading.
The mean bending strength of the bamboo scrimber made from SST bamboo
bundles increased slightly (9.5 %), whereas that of the bamboo scrimber made from
HDAT bamboo bundles decreased by 46 % compared with that of control. This
result may have been caused by the slight increase in bending strength of the
bamboo bundles when treated with SST. The bending strength of the bamboo
bundles drastically decreases when treated with HDAT compared with control (Yu
2012).
The bending modulus of all the bamboo scrimbers slightly decreased with
increased PF resin loading (Fig. 7b).
Unlike the bending strength, the mean bending modulus of the bamboo scrimbers
made from SST and HDAT bamboo bundles increased by 31 and 15 %,
respectively, compared with that of the control. These results were caused by the
different degrees of increase in the bending modulus of the bamboo bundles treated
with SST and HDAT compared with the control (Yu 2012).

Shear properties

The shear properties of bamboo scrimber were also studied. The shear properties of
bamboo scrimbers made from control, SST, and HDAT bamboo bundles with
different PF resin loadings are shown in Fig. 8.
The bond strength of the bamboo scrimber, with or without thermal treatment,
slightly increased with increased PF resin loading. The difference in shear properties
might have been caused by the difference in resin penetrations into the bamboo
bundles.
The shear strength of the bamboo scrimber decreased with increased intensity of
thermal treatment. The mean shear strength of bamboo scrimber made from HDAT
bamboo bundles decreased by 50 % compared to that of the control without the
effect of resin loading. This result may have been caused by the difference in
wettability between the bamboo bundles and PF resin as well as decreased strength
of the bamboo bundles during HDAT treatment.
Poor wettability is considered as an indicator of poor bond durability. Wettability
is recognized as an important criterion in evaluating the bondability of bamboo

123
Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98 97

bundles. Contact angle reflects the physical and chemical affinity between a bamboo
surface and adhesive. The wettability of bamboo decreases with increasing thermal
treatment temperature (Hou et al. 2010).

Conclusion

The present study investigated the use of bamboo as a promising raw material for
engineering composites. This study aimed to determine the water absorption,
dimensional stability, and mechanical properties of a bamboo scrimber.
The fluffing of bamboo bundles is simple and results in excellent quality,
quantity, and lengthy units, which are useful for the fabrication of industrial bamboo
scrimbers. The thermal treatment and PF impregnation process for bamboo bundles
are also interesting parameters in designing materials that are environmentally
friendly and sustainable.
The bamboo scrimber made from HDAT bamboo bundles combined with 18 %
PF resin loading showed good technological properties with improved water
absorption as well as thickness and width swelling behavior. In addition, given the
availability, environment-friendliness, and desirable texture of the composites, the
bamboo scrimber has been applied to outdoor landscaping, exterior decoration,
garden furniture, etc. However, the mechanical properties of the bamboo scrimber
were obviously decreased.
SST for bamboo bundles enhanced the mechanical strength of the bamboo
scrimber. This phenomenon observed in bamboo composites is similar to other
natural fiber composites. Steam-injection pressing is a well-known commercial
process used to make wood laminated strand lumber. It is also used for thermal-
hydro-mechanical processing of wood—including PF-impregnated veneer compos-
ites. Hence, the composites of SST bamboo bundles can be considered for structural
materials, such as pole and beam, according to its enhanced mechanical strength.
However, its water absorption and dimensional stability of the bamboo scrimber
were unfavorable.
Further research should be conducted to investigate a novel technology that can
be used to improve the dimensional stability while maintaining the mechanical
properties of bamboo bundles.

Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support extended by the Natural
Science Foundation [Bonding mechanism of bamboo scrimber forming (31470591)].

References

Abdul Khalil HPS, Nur Firdaus MY, Anis M, Ridzuan R (2008) The effect of storage time and humidity
on mechanical and physical properties of medium density fiberboard (MDF) from oil palm empty
fruit bunch and rubberwood. Polym Plast Technol Eng 47:1046–1053
Abdul Khalil HPS, Bhat AH, Jawaid M, Amouzgar P, Ridzuan R, Said MR (2010) Mechanical and
physical properties of resin impregnated oil palm trunk core lumber. Polym Compos 31(4):638–644
Abdul Khalil HPS, Bhata IUH, Jawaid M, Zaidon A, Hermawan D, Hadi YS (2012) Bamboo fibre
reinforced biocomposites: a review. Mater Des 42:353–368

123
98 Wood Sci Technol (2015) 49:83–98

Abdullah CK, Jawaid M, Abdul Khalil HPS, Zaidon A, Hadiyane A (2012) Oil palm trunk polymer
composite: morphology, water absorption, and thickness swelling behaviors. Bioresources
7(3):2948–2959
Ayrilmis N, Jarusombuti S, Fueangvivat V, Bauchongkol P (2011) Effects of thermal treatment of rubber
wood fiber on physical and mechanical properties of medium density board. J Trop For Sci
23(1):10–16
Cai J, Zhang L, Zhou J, Qi H, Chen H, Kondo T, Chen X, Chu B (2007) Multifilament fibers based on
dissolution of cellulose in NaOH/urea aqueous solution: structure and properties. Adv Mater
19(6):821–825
Cheng L, Wang XM, Yu YL (2009) Effect of glue immersion parameters on performance of reconstituted
Dendrocalamopsis oldhami lumber. China Wood Ind 23(3):16–19
Fang CH, Cloutier A, Blanchet P, Koubaa A, Mariotti N (2011) Densification of wood veneers combined
with oil-heat treatment. Part I: Dimensional stability. Bioresources 6(1):373–385
Gabrielli CP, Kamke FA (2010) Phenol-formaldehyde impregnation of densified wood for improved
dimensional stability. Wood Sci Technol 44(1):95–104
Hou LY, An Z, Zhao RJ, Ren HQ (2010) Influence of surface wettability on bamboo by steam heat
treatment. J Fujian Coll For 1:92–96
Jiang ZH (2007) Bamboo and rattan in the world. China Forestry Publishing House, Beijing
Kalia S, Kaith BS, Kaur I (2009) Pretreatments of natural fibers and their application as reinforcing
material in polymer composites—a review. Polym Eng Sci 49(7):1253–1272
Liu DG, Song JW, Anderson DP, Chang PR, Hua Y (2012) Bamboo fiber and its reinforced composites:
structure and properties. Cellulose 19:1449–1480
Meng FD, Yu YL, Zhu RX, Zhang YH, Yu WJ (2011) Effect of resin impregnation rate of laminated
bamboo on physical and mechanical properties fibrillated veneer lumber. China Wood Ind 25(2):1–4
Nurgroho N, Ando N (2000) Development of structural composite products made from bamboo:
fundamental properties of bamboo zephyr board. J Wood Sci 46:68–74
Nurgroho N, Ando N (2001) Development of structural composite products made from bamboo:
fundamental properties of laminated bamboo lumber. J Wood Sci 47:237–242
Paul W, Ohlmeyer M, Leithoff H (2007) Thermal modification of OSB-strands by a one-step heat
pretreatment: influence of temperature on weight loss, hygroscopicity and improved fungal
resistance. Holz Roh Werkst 65:57–63
Qin L, Yu WJ, Yu YL (2013) Research on properties of reconstituted bamboo lumber made by thermo-
treated bamboo bundle curtains. For Prod J 62:545–550
State Forestry Administration of China (2012) Statistical Yearbook of Forestry
Wang JX (1889) Bamboo scrimber: novel technology and novel product. China Wood Ind 3(4):52–53
Ye LM, Jiang ZH, Ye JH et al (1991) Study on board of bamboo scrimber. J Zhejiang For Coll
3(2):133–140
Yu WJ (2012) Current status and future development of bamboo scrimber industry in China. China Wood
Ind 26(1):11–14
Yu WJ, Yu YL (2013) Development and prospect of wood and bamboo scrimber industry in China. China
Wood Ind 27(1):5–8
Yu WJ, Yu YL, Zhou Y, Ren DH (2006) Studies on factors influencing properties of reconstituted
engineering timber made from small-sized bamboo. China For Prod Ind 33(6):24–28
Zhang YM, Yu YL, Yu WJ (2013) Effect of thermal treatment on the physical and mechanical properties
of Phyllostachys pubescen bamboo. Eur J Wood Prod 71(1):61–67

123