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The Effects of bamboo species and adhesive type on mechanical properties of

laminated bamboo lumber (LBL)

Research Proposal · April 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2363.6881

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 Graduate Program in Science and
Technology of Wood
CEP 37.200-000 / Lavras - MG
Phone: (35) 3829-1426

The Effects of bamboo species and adhesive type

on mechanical properties of laminated bamboo
lumber (LBL)

Qualification project as a doctoral

requirement course of the graduate
program in the field of Science and
Technology of Wood at the Federal
University of Lavras (UFLA)

Seyedmohammad Mirmehdi (Ph.D Student)

Dr. Gustavo Henrique Denzin Tonoli (Orientador)
Dr. Paulo Ricardo Gherardi Hein (Co-orientador)

LAVRAS - MG
May – 2016
 Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 2
2 JUSTIFICATION ...................................................................................................... 5
3 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 6
3.1 Manufacturing Methods ..................................................................................... 7
3.2 Physical and mechanical properties of bamboo culms ...................................... 9
3.3 Anatomical properties of bamboo culms ......................................................... 10
3.4 Chemical properties of bamboo culms ............................................................ 12
3.5 The Adhesives used in the LBL production .................................................... 13
4 OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 14
5 MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................ 15
5.1 Bamboo strips preparing ....................................................................................... 15
5.2 LBL production..................................................................................................... 16
5.3 Testing .................................................................................................................. 17
5.3.1 Bamboo testing............................................................................................... 17
5.3.1.1 Physical properties ................................................................................ 17
5.3.1.2 Mechanical properties ........................................................................... 18
5.3.1.3 Anatomical properties ........................................................................... 19
5.3.1.4 Chemical properties .............................................................................. 20
5.3.1.4.1 pH value and buffer capacity measurement .......................................... 20
5.3.1.4.2 Determination of Contact Angle (Wettability) .................................... 20
5.3.2 LBL testing..................................................................................................... 20
6 GENERAL SCHEDULE............................................................................................. 22
7 BUDGET .................................................................................................................... 23
8 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 24

1
1 INTRODUCTION
Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family (Family Poaceae,
Subfamily Bambusoideae). In bamboo, the internod regions of the stem are usually
hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross section are scattered throughout the stem
instead of in a cylindrical arrangement. The dicotyledonous woody xylem is also absent.
The absence of secondary growth wood causes the stems of monocots, including the
palms and large bamboos, to be columnar rather than tapering (Fig 1) (FEI et al 2016).
The chemical composition of bamboo is known to consist of cellulose (46%),
hemicellulose (22%), lignin (22%), ash (1%) and other extractives (9%) (LI 2004).

Fig 1. Bamboo anatomy

Bamboos include some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, (LI et al 2016)
due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. There are about 1200 species of bamboo in
some 70 genera (LIU et al 2016). Bamboo is naturally distributed in the tropical and
subtropical belt between approximately 46° north and 47° south latitude, and is
commonly found in Africa, Asia and Central and South America (Fig 2) (NURDIAH
2016). Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick, or concrete and a
tensile strength that rivals steel (GUTU 2013).

Fig 2. Worldwide distribution of Bamboos

2
 Bamboo is one of the oldest building materials used by mankind (WONG 2004).
The bamboo culm, or stem, has been made into an extended diversity of products
ranging from domestic household products to industrial applications. Examples of
bamboo products are food containers, skewers, chopsticks, handicrafts, toys, furniture,
flooring, pulp and paper, boats, charcoal, musical instruments and weapons. In Asia,
bamboo is quite common for bridges, scaffolding and housing, but it is usually a
temporary exterior structural material. In many overly populated regions of the tropics,
certain bamboos supply the one suitable material that is sufficiently cheap and plentiful
to meet the extensive need for economical housing (MOOR BESS and WEIN 2001).
Bamboo shoots are an important source of food, and a delicacy in Asia. In addition to
its more common applications, bamboo has other uses (HIDALGO LOPEZ 2003), from
skyscraper scaffolding and phonograph needles to slide rules, skins of airplanes, and
diesel fuels. Extractives from various parts of the plant have been used for hair and skin
ointment, medicine for asthma, eyewash, potions for lovers and poison for rivals.
Bamboo ashes are used to polish jewels and manufacture electrical batteries. It has been
used in bicycles, dirigibles, windmills, scales, retaining walls, ropes, cables and filament
in the first light bulb. Indeed, bamboo has many applications beyond imagination. Its
uses are broad and plentiful.
Bamboo has received increasing attention over the last two decades for its
economic and environmental values. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, it is closely
associated with indigenous culture and knowledge and is widely used for housing,
forestry, agroforestry, agricultural activities and utensils. In countries undergoing
economic development, traditional bamboo culture gradually disappears. However,
industrial development of bamboo is offering a new opportunity to younger generations
to retain and continue developing cultural traditions related to the cultivation, harvesting
and use of bamboo (LOBOVIKOV et al 2007).
Bamboo in panel form is well suited to substitute wood and therefore,
development/refinement of cost-effective technologies to produce bamboo-based
panels, is an important area of research (XAIO 2016).
The first bamboo-based panel was produced in China in the 1940s. Since then,
some 28 panel products have been developed. Among the technologies developed, only
a few, like bamboo mat board and bamboo strip board, are the outcome of detailed
investigations and industry-scale trials. Others are mostly based on limited laboratory

3
experimentation and industrial testing. Hence, the commercialization of bamboo panels
is not commensurate with the variety of products developed (ANOKYE 2016).
Based on the culm derivatives used, the boards may be grouped in the following
categories:
- Culms converted into slivers, strips or laths by flattening and/or cutting, and further
processed (Fig 3);

Fig 3. Manufacture of strips or slivers

Bamboo´s grain is straight, and can be split into strips by simple tool as thin as several
microns.
- Culms peeled into veneers and further processed (Fig 4);

Fig 4. Rotary bamboo veneer

- Culms converted into particles, fibers, wafers or strands and reconstituted;

- Combination of one or more of above products among themselves or with
other materials and further processed (termed as composites) (HIDALGO LOPEZ
2003).
Our focus in our study is on the first category i.e. the culms converted into
slivers or strips and then to come on board and in particular the laminated bamboo
lumber (LBL).

4
 As focus is drawn toward more sustainable construction practices, use of
bamboo as a structural building material is growing as a topic of interest. It is highly
renewable, has low-embodied energy, and has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of
steel, concrete, and timber. Composite lumber made from bamboo, termed LBL has
gained the particular interest of researchers and practitioners of late, since it has
bamboo’s mechanical properties but can be manufactured in well-defined dimensions,
similar to commercially available wood products (MUJIMAN 2014).
LBL is a type of structural bamboo-based composite composed of several layers
of bamboo lamellae which are placed parallel to each other bonded together with
durable, moisture-resistant adhesives. According to Correal et al. (2009) and Pereira and
Faria (2009) the manufacture of LBL can be summarized and present in figure 5.

Fig 5. The general flow chart of Laminated Bamboo Lumber production

2 JUSTIFICATION
In the search for non-timber forest products to substitute for wood, bamboo has
emerged as a material par excellence. It is now widely recognized that bamboo in panel
form is ideal to replace wood in several applications owning to its properties of
excellent strength, easy processing and rapidly growing than other common trees
(LOBOVIKOV et al 2007).
Bamboos possess several types of advantages including rapid growth rate, low
cost and offering friendly environment. The plants are botanically considered as a
special group in grass family which can be planted easily into any kind of land. They
are also excellent for rejuvenating degraded areas and typically could grow much faster
than other common trees as their daily growth rate is merely 80–300 mm (LI et al
2002).
As resource availability declines and resource demands increase in today’s
modern industrialized world, it is becoming increasingly necessary to explore

5
opportunities for new, sustainable building materials (MAHDAVI et al 2011). Wood,
for example, has recently gained popularity in the green building community because of
its environmentally beneficial characteristics: wood is promoted as renewable,
biodegradable, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, low in embodied energy, and
creating less pollution in production than steel or concrete (FALK 2009). Bamboo has
similar environmental characteristics (VAN DER LUGT et al. 2006; LEE et al. 1994;
RITTIRONK and ELNIEIRI 2007; NATH et al. 2009). Most notably, it is highly
renewable; bamboo stalks reach maturity in eight years. Its strength is comparable to
that of wood. As such, it makes an appealing candidate as a structural material. With
adequate research, it is conceivable that bamboo could become a sustainable alternative
to current building materials in North America (AHAMD and KAMKE 2011).
In the absence of standard test methods and generation of standardized
information on properties, such as those that exist for wood-based panels, data for
individual products are presented in the way in which they were reported. Until test
methods are standardized and format of reporting data on properties and performance
harmonized, it would be difficult to accurately compare products manufactured in
different regions or countries (LOBOVIKOV et al 2007).
Bamboo, being a hollow tube, is efficient in resisting bending forces, having a large
ratio of moment of inertia to cross-sectional area. It is difficult, however, to create
connections for this shape, and tubes cannot be used in applications where flat surfaces
are required. LBL resolves these deficiencies in the natural shape of bamboo because it
is formed in rectangular sections that are more suitable for use in traditional structural
applications. LBL has been created in research studies by using adhesive to join strands
or flattened surfaces taken from the culm (i.e., bamboo stem). The result is a composite
rectangular structural member having highly renewable characteristics that make it
competitive, in this regard, with commonly used building materials.
In this work, we will seek to contribute with the scientific community to
introduce the LBL as an alternative building material and a low-technology approach
toward fabrication these kind of boards and lumbers. It is designed to be a replacement
for wood or engineered wood (XAIO et al 2008).

3 LITERATURE REVIEW
The first recorded production of bamboo-based panels was in China. During
World War II, a simple technology was developed in China to manufacture bamboo mat

6
board bonded with casein glue, for use as alternate to plywood in the interiors of
aircrafts (LOBOVIKOV et al 2007).
LBL is a relatively new concept that involves gluing together bamboo material
in various forms (e.g., strands or mats) to form rectangular boards, similar to lumber.
Despite its commercial potential, only a small body of research on LBL exists in the
literature. Two patents exist; the first patent, entitled “Bamboo board” (CHU 1989),
describes a product that is similar in layup to plywood, and the second, entitled “Parallel
randomly stacked, stranded, laminated bamboo boards and beams” (JAY 1996), is
similar in layup to parallel strand lumber (PSL). The second patent describes the
composition of the beam as bonded bamboo segments specifically, “bamboo stalks, that
are split open and dried in segments ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inches in width to
approximately 5 to 20 feet in length. The core may contain gaps as a result of the cross-
sectional shape of the bamboo segments and the randomness of the stacking of the
segments.

3.1 Manufacturing Methods

Three main methods or processing techniques for making these type of bamboo
boards can be seen in the literature include:

Method 1
Nugroho and Ando (2001) investigated a technique to process LBL by
progressively crushing Moso bamboo culms using roller press crushers to create zephyr
strand mats, displayed in figure 6.

Fig 6. Bamboo zephyr strand mat from after preheat-pressed treatment

The mats were hot-pressed (between 150°C and 180°C) in order to achieve
dimensional stability and to create a smoother surface with less irregularity and fewer
voids, since spaces between strands likely weaken the material. It was found that
dipping specimens in boiling water for 1 min tended to aid in the flattening of fibers at
7
low press temperatures (between 100°C and 130°C) but had less effectiveness at higher
press temperatures (between 150°C and 180°C). After hot-pressing, the mats were
passed through a planer to remove their inner and outer layers that contain wax and
silica that weaken adhesive bonding. The zephyr mats were coated with resorcinol-
based adhesive and stacked on top of each other. Inner surfaces were bonded to inner or
outer surfaces. The final product is displayed in figure 7.

Fig 7. Samples of LBL. In the front are specimens of IB (internal bonding) strength. In the
background are, from left to right: bamboo zephyr mat, LBL board, and bending testing specimens

Method 2
Another technique was investigated by Rittironk and Elnieiri (2007) and
Sulastiningsih and Nurwati (2009), whereby bamboo strips were produced by feeding
culms through a splitter machine that cut the bamboo culm into slender strips. All
surfaces of the strips were scraped and planned to remove wax and silica as well as to
create rectangular cross sections. Adhesive was applied to the strips that were then
neatly arranged next to and on top of one another to create the final product. Figure 8
clearly depicts the cutting, planing, and lamination steps. Based on the approach by
Sulastiningsih and Nurwati (2009), strips were left to air-dry at room temperature for
one week after they were cut. Air-dried strips were then immersed in a boron solution
and left to dry in the sun until their moisture content reached 12%. Bamboo sheets were
produced by placing bamboo strips side-by-side and edge-gluing them using tannin
resorcinol formaldehyde (TRF) extracted from black wattle (Acacia mangium Willd.)
bark mixed with wheat flour. Sheets were then stacked on top of one another, keeping
grains parallel, using the same adhesive, and clamped with no heat for 4 h.

8
 Fig 8. Manufacturing process of laminated bamboo lumber (LBL) using bamboo strips

Method 3
A third technique was investigated by Lee et al. (1998). The procedure began by
splitting Moso bamboo culms in half longitudinally. These splits were then flattened at a
pressure of 690 KPa for 1-4 min. The curvature and thickness of the bamboo splits
determined whether or not to increase or decrease the amount of time during which
pressure was applied. The inner and outer layers of the flattened bamboo were passed
through a planer in order to remove the wax and silica contained in these layers.
Resorcinol based adhesive was applied to the surfaces of the flattened and planed
bamboo splits. They were then carefully stacked on top of one another, and the stack
was placed under a pressure of 1.38 KPa for 12 h.

3.2 Physical and mechanical properties of bamboo culms

Moisture content is an important physical factor in governing the mechanical
properties of bamboo. Bending and compression strength have shown significant
variation of bamboo for green and air-dry conditions. Physical and mechanical
properties of bamboo depend on the species, site/soil and climatic condition,
silvicultural treatment, harvesting technique, age, density, moisture content, position in
the culm, nodes or internodes and bio-degradation (LEE 1994).
To achieve a good bond, the moisture content of the material is essential. For
interior applications of wood products in the USA, the average moisture content varies
regionally between 6 and 11% (FRIHART and HUNT, 2010). Owing to the hydrophilic
nature of the fiber, bamboo laminates are difficult to maintain at low moisture content
and oven drying the specimens is the preferred method before lamination. Lee et al.
(1998) explored the impact of the initial moisture content on the strength of bamboo and
found little to no effect on the mechanical properties; however, the moisture content

9
affected the dimensional stability. They also found the glue spread rate impacted both
mechanical and physical properties.
Chew et al. (1992) gives the density of B.vulgaris at 630 kg/m3, which is
relatively light compared to other bamboo. Density is the major factor that influences
the mechanical properties, and it is closely related to the proportion of vascular bundles.
Shear, compression parallel to grain, bending at proportional limit and MOE are
correlated with density and moisture content.
A sufficient knowledge of the mechanical behavior of bamboo enables a safe
design for the materials service life. The mechanical behavior of the full size culm
(round form) and small specimens can be investigated (ANOKYE et al 2016).
Correal et al. (2009) illustrates the mechanical properties of LBL made from
Guadua angustifolia Kunt. Based on this results, LBL due to the high density compared
to wood has higher mechanical properties in bonding shear strength and bending
strength compared to traditional timber species generally. In the point of view, the LBL
can be suitable material for construction and design of thinner structural elements than
those made of wood. It is used as vertical columns or horizontal beams, as well as
curved configuration, arched shapes. Additionally, it is also applied in the panel form
for truck floor and gang planks. However, the product’s weight is a disadvantage.
Moreover, bamboo contains a waxy component with heavier and harder outer part of
culm. It requires large quantity of resin and pressing time, thereby pushing up the
production cost.
Abd.Latif et al. (1993) studied the effect of anatomical characteristics on the
physical and mechanical properties of Bambusa bluemeana. According to this study,
age and height do not significantly affect moisture content. The range of green moisture
content was 57% to 97%. Younger bamboo showed higher moisture content compared
to an older bamboo. The paper explained that it could be the effect of the thick wall
fiber and higher concentration of vascular bundle of the older bamboo. There was no
significant difference for density along the culm height of the 3-year-old culm.

3.3 Anatomical properties of bamboo culms

Its anatomical features directly affect bamboo physical and mechanical
properties. These features affect seasoning, preservation and the final application. It is
expected that these anatomical features will affect the interaction between bamboo and
adhesive. The bamboo culm is divided into segments by diaphragms or nodes. The

10
nodes separate the culm into several sections termed internodes. The culms outermost
layer, the bark, consists of epidermal cells that contain a waxy layer called cutin. The
innermost layer is wrapped by sclerenchyma cells. The tissue of the culm contains
parenchyma cells and the vascular bundles (Fig 9). Vascular bundles are a combination
of vessels and sieve tubes, with companion cells and fibers (ABDRAZAK et al 1995).

Fig 9. transverse surface of culm wall

Chew et al. (1992) analyzed the fiber of Buloh Minyak (Bambusa Vulgaris). The
macerated fiber was stained with Safranin-C and mounted on slides. They then
measured 300 fibers for their length, width and lumen width using a visopan projection
microscope. Their study shows that the fiber is long and slender, with a narrow lumen.
The average fiber length and width was found to be 2.8 mm and 0.013 mm, whilst the
lumen width and cell-wall thickness was 0.003mm and 0.005mm respectively.
The anatomical characteristics in relation to the mechanical properties of
Malaysian bamboo have been studied by Abd.Latif et al. (1990). The three species, 1 to
3-year-old Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa bluemeana and Gigantochloa scortechinii were
used. They concluded that vascular bundle size (radial/tangential ratio) and fiber length
correlated positively with modulus of elasticity (MOE) and stress at proportional limit.
The authors implied that the increase in the size (mature stage), and fiber length could
be accompanied by an increase in strength properties. They mentioned that bamboo that
possess longer fiber might be stiffer, if it has a greater vascular bundle size. The
correlation between fiber length and shear strength was negative. The fiber wall
thickness correlates positively with compression strength and MOE, but negatively with
modulus of rupture (MOR). There was also a correlation between lumen diameter and
all of the mechanical properties, except compression strength.
The effects of anatomical characteristics on the physical and mechanical
properties of Bambusa bluemeana were determined (MOHMOD et al 1993). The
studies were carried out by using nine culms of 1, 2 and 3-year-old bamboo from

11
Malaysia. This study found that the frequency of vascular bundles does not significantly
vary with age and height of the culm. They observed that the highest mean
concentration of vascular bundles was at the top location of the 2-year-old culm, and the
lowest mean concentration was in the middle location of the 1-year-old culm. The high
density of vascular bundles at the top was due to the decrease in culm wall thickness
(GROSSER and LIESE 1971). The size of vascular bundles was not significantly
different with height and age. There was no correlation of vascular bundles with age,
but there was a significant decreased with height of the culm. They explained that the
reason for the higher ratio of vascular bundle size near the basal location was due to the
presence of mature tissues. The radial diameter decreases faster than the longitudinal
diameter of the vascular bundles within the 14 height of the culm. The fiber length of
the species of bamboo studied did not significantly differ with age and culm height.
Fiber wall thickness is not significant by age or height of the culm. They observed that
there is a decrease of lumen diameter with the increase of age and height of the culm.

3.4 Chemical properties of bamboo culms

The selection of bamboo species for various applications is not only related to
physical and mechanical properties but also to the chemical composition (TOMALANG
et al 1980).
The pH value of wood or woody materials is highly important for various
applications (FENGEL and WEGENER 1980). The ability of an adhesive to cure
depends greatly on the condition of the surface of the substrate. Since the rate of cross-
linking of most thermosetting adhesives is pH-dependent, these adhesives will be
sensitive to the pH of the substrate (BLOMQUIST et al 1981). According to Maloney
(MALONEY 1983), in order for the resin binders to cure properly in particleboard
furnish, an appropriate chemical condition must be established. Urea-formaldehyde
resins particularly are rich in methylol groups and the curing is achieved by lowering
the pH to trigger condensation, splitting of water, and forming methylene bridges
(MARRA 1992). However, most phenolic resins used in wood composites cure in an
alkaline environment. This resin is already rich in methylol groups and capable of
curing without addition of other ingredients. Adhesives are formulated in accordance to
the acid range of certain species, and a wide deviation of this value will create
difficulties in providing a superior adhesive bond system.

12
 According to Maloney (1993) a greater amount of acid catalyst is required to
reduce the pH to the level for an optimum resin cure when wood possesses a high
buffering capacity. The buffering level for a single species of wood used in composite
products could be an important issue if the variation is high, but becomes a critical
factor when multiple species are used. The bamboo buffer capacity was determined
using the method by Borden Chemical, Division of Borden (GRAVES 1985) and are
measured in term of miliequavalent (me.).
Wetting of the surface by an adhesive is a necessary prerequisite to bond formation
(FREEMAN 1960). A convenient method to measure wetting of a solid surface is
through the determination of contact angle of a liquid. White (1975) measured the
contact angle of 0.18ml of liquid drop. Zhang et al. (1997) used a 50 ml pipette to drop
the liquid on a wood sample and immediately captured the image of the droplet with a
video camera. Kalnins and Feist (1993) measured the contact angle of bamboo surface
by using an automatic micropipette to dispense a 25ml droplet while capturing an image
within 2 seconds of the drop. The wetting values of the surface were reported either as
contact angle or by the cosine of the contact angle.

3.5 The Adhesives used in the LBL production

The only classified wood limited exterior adhesive explored in the bamboo studies
was melamine urea formaldehyde, although polyurethane is also of interest because
most formulations are formaldehyde-free. Urea formaldehyde, a wood structural interior
adhesive, was studied as well as polyvinyl acetate, which is considered to be a non-
structural wood interior adhesive (FRIHART and HUNT, 2010).
Bansal and Prasad (2004) tested laminated bamboo made from Bambusa bambos.
The research explored three types of resins: urea formaldehyde, melamine urea
formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde. Phenol formaldehyde and phenol resorcinol
formaldehyde provide higher strengths in comparison to the other adhesives (BANSAL
and PRASAD, 2004; CORREAL et al., 2010).
Frihart and Hunt (2010) note that phenol, resorcinol and phenol resorcinol
formaldehydes do not release detectable amounts of formaldehyde after production;
however, the levels of free formaldehyde in products is controlled by acceptable limits
globally. The use of formaldehyde-based resins in some bamboo products continues to
be the current industry practice and cost-effective choice (XIAO et al., 2013).

13
4 OBJECTIVES
The main goal in this thesis proposal is the development of laminated bamboo
lumber termed LBL, as a suitable replacement to wood lumbers regard to the most
popular bamboo species in Brazil.
Brazil is the country with the greatest bamboo diversity and the highest percentage
of endemic woody bamboos in Latin America i.e. 137 species (32% of Latin American
bamboo species) and 17 genera (85% of Latin American bamboo genera). The states of
Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, Bahia and Parana have the greatest diversity
of woody bamboos. The states of Amazonas and Acre have the largest area of bamboo
in Brazil and recently, with satellite imagery, aerial photographs and site investigations,
it has been calculated that the bamboo-dominant area is close to 180,000 km2, or 18
million hectares. Of the 17 genera of woody bamboos native to Brazil, it can be said
that only Actinocladum, Apoclada, Chusquea, Guadua and Merostachys consist of any
species that have or could have any potential use and the most dominant genus among
them is Guada (HANGZHOU 2007). On the other hand, some asiatic bamboos,
principally in the genera of Bambusa vulgaris and Dendrocalamus giganteus, fill a
more important economic role than any native species in Brazil (PEREIRA and FARIA
2009).
So, the first objective of this thesis is to determine the physical, mechanical,
anatomical and chemical properties of these three important species of bamboo i.e.
Guada, Bambusa vulgaris and Dendrocalamus giganteus, and compare them with each
other and also determine the effect of them regard to these characteristics on the
mechanical properties of LBL´s.
One of the most important factors affecting the mechanical strength of laminated
bamboo lumber is the type of adhesive used. Adhesives have an essential role in
composites and must provide proper penetration and interface bond between the fibres
and laminas. The majority of bamboo composite adhesives today are phenol-
formaldehyde (PF) (SHARMA et al 2015a), resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF), urea-
formaldehyde (UF), melamine-formaldehyde (MF), melamine-urea-formaldehyde
(MUF), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) (FRIHART and HUNT, 2010), soy-
based resin (SHARMA et al 2015b), tannin resorcinol formaldehyde
(SULASTININGSIH and NURWATI 2009), and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) (CORREAL
and LÒPEZ 2008). Among them, PF, UF and soy-based resin are more common.

14
Commercial manufacturing of bamboo panels primarily uses phenol formaldehyde
owing to its durability for exterior applications, and its low cost. Commercial laminated
bamboo is produced for interior uses and utilizes UF for lamination. Bio-based resins,
such as soy-based resins are also of interest owing to the formaldehyde-free
formulation, although the additional costs have limited their use commercially (Sharma
et al 2015c).
The second objective of this thesis is to evaluate the effect of adhesive type used
(PF, UF and soy-based resin) to manufacturing lumbers, on the mechanical properties of
LBL´s and to determine what kind of adhesive is appropriate for each bamboo species.

5 MATERIALS AND METHODS

The experimental part will be done at the Department of Forest Science
infrastructure (laboratories and partners) of the Federal University of Lavras.

5.1 Bamboo strips preparing

Bamboos are cut at least one meter above the ground to remove hard solid stem.
The first few meters at the bottom of the culm are in general stronger than that at the
top. Bamboo with diameter about 9 cm is suitable for LBL production (HANGZHOU
2001). Round bamboos are split using radial knife into strips as seen in figure 10. On
the other hand, short sections of the culm (1-meter-long) can be divided radially in
strips with the same width (2-3-4 or cm wide), depending on the number on knives
fixed to the radial knife. The diameter of this radial tool has to be equal to the maximum
diameter of the bamboo commonly used plus ten centimeters (LOPEZ 2003).

Fig 10. Bamboo Splitting

To obtain uniform rectangular shape, strips are sawn by band saw to remove the
surface nodes (Fig 11 left), then the inner side thickness with a jointer is planned (Fig
11 right),

15
 Fig 11. Strips bamboo preparation

then trimmed to predetermined width by circular saw (Fig 12 left) and the upper and the
lower curvature are then removed by planner (Fig 12 right). The strips are preventing
from insect by using boron compound.

Fig 12. Strips bamboo preparation

Bamboo strips are dried to low moisture content (8-12%) as part of the manufacturing
process. Drying of bamboos used for laminated bamboo is essential for effective
bonding using the PF, UF and soy-based resins.

5.2 LBL production

LBLs are produced in the laboratory using the resins with a glue spread rate of
180-200 g/m2 to form a single glue line. These strips are hand-made into mats and
arranged with parallel orientation. The experimental design involves outer- inner layers
as illustrated in figure 13. After forming, mats are then pressed into boards with a
temperature of 160°C at a pressure setting of 20 kg/cm2 for 10 minutes. All LBLs are
cut into test specimens and placed in a conditioning room maintained at 65% RH and
20°C for 2-4 weeks until constant weight is attained.

16
 Fig 13. Combination of layered structure on laminated bamboo lumber

5.3 Testing

5.3.1 Bamboo testing

In order to evaluate the effect of bamboo specie on the LBLs properties, it is

necessary to characterize the bamboo culm properties. Many studies have been
published on the anatomical, mechanical or physical features of bamboo and
relationship between the bamboo-based boards and lumbers with these features
(MUSTAFA et al 2011; WAHAB et al 2009; WAHAB et al 2012; RAZAK et al 2010).
The bamboo culm specifications which can be assessed and measured and also are
important in the lumber manufacturing, can be divided into four categories; i.e.
physical, mechanical, anatomical and chemical properties.

5.3.1.1 physical properties

Moisture content (MC) is determined using difference between green sample
and oven drying method described by D 4442-15 standard (ASTM 2015). Specific
gravity is determined by the volumetric measurement method described by standard D-
2395-14e1 (ASTM 2014). Shrinkage is determined using D143-14 (ASTM 2014). The
weight and volume of each bamboo samples were determined in green condition
according to the D2395-02 (ASTM 2002) (Fig 14).

17
 Fig 14. Schematic diagram of sampling technique from bamboo culm

5.3.1.2 Mechanical properties

In this study, tension parallel to grain, modulus of elasticity, and the static
bending tests for small size specimens are conducted. The tension parallel to grain test
is adjusted from the standard methods of testing small clear specimens of timber, D143-
94 (ASTM 2007). It is impossible to cut similar specimen dimension suggested by this
standard due to the nature of bamboo. Thus, a smaller-scale version is fabricated (Fig 15
and Fig 16).

Fig 15. (right) Half-culm (A), tension test specimen (B). (left) Tension parallel to grain test specimen
showing front view (A), side view (B).

18
 Fig 16. Radial and tangential load direction. Half-culm (A), bending specimens (B), dimension of
bending specimens (C)

5.3.1.3 Anatomical properties

The important anatomical properties of bamboo culm related to LBLs properties,
are the average fiber length, diameter, lumen diameter, wall thickness and fiber runkle’s
ratio. And about the vascular bundle in bamboo culm, there are Vascular bundle
distribution, Vascular bundle length and Vascular bundle width.
The following process is used for bamboo fiber maceration. Bamboo samples
from different age materials and height and horizontal locations are cut into 0.25 × 0.25
× 5 cm toothpick size pieces. Glacial acetic acid, 30% hydrogen peroxide, and distilled
water are used as maceration solution and the ratio is: 5:1:4 respectively. The samples
are macerated under 60 °C for 48 hours, unlike most wood for which the normal
maceration time is 24 hours. After maceration, the fibers are further separated with a stir
rod and are then washed thoroughly with distilled water. The distilled water is drained
out by using a vacuum. A small amount of phenol is added as preservative and distilled
water is also added to immerse the fibers. The fibers are stored in a jar in a refrigerator
for later fiber length and strength determination. A small amount of fibers from jar are
transferred to a small jar. Distilled water is added to dilute the fibers. The small jars are
put into a water bath at 50 °C for twenty minutes and then vibrated for 5 minutes to
further separate the fibers. The diluted mixture is then spread evenly on to a transparent
glass of 20×20 cm and another piece of glass is placed on top. The glasses with the
fibers are then dried in an oven of 50 °C for 24 hours to evaporate the water. The glass
with the fibers is scanned using a precision scanner at 1,200 dpi resolution. The fibers
are then randomly selected from the scanned picture, which is magnified in Image pro-

19
plus software and the fiber length on the image is measured. Normally, three to four
hundred fibers are selected and measured for each group.
For vascular bundle concentration determination, a 45-micron thick slice of the
cross section (transverse section) is cut with a sliding microtome. The slice is dried in
the oven at 40 °C for 8 hours and is viewed at 5 × under a light microscope, and the
image is captured using a digital camera. The image is analyzed with Image Proplus
software. The cross section of each sample is divided evenly into five layers
horizontally and the vascular bundle number is counted and the area is measured.

5.3.1.4 Chemical properties

5.3.1.4.1 pH value and buffer capacity measurement

Bamboo chips are ground into the small particles and then screened with a -
40/+60 mesh sieve. Furnish remaining on the 60# mesh screen is used for the
investigations. The method for pH value measurement is modified from the TAPPI T
509 standard method. One gram of dry specimen is soaked with 70-ml distilled water.
The solution is stirred during soaking for one hour at room temperature. A pH meter is
used to determine the pH value. The value is recorded when there is no more drift in the
measurement for a period of 30 seconds.

5.3.1.4.2 Determination of Contact Angle (Wettability)

Adhesive wettability of wood is usually evaluated by contact angle
measurement. A contact angle meter is used to determine the contact angle. Bamboo
samples are prepared and removed the outer and inner layers. All specimens are
conditioned at 20°C and 65% RH until the constant weight was reached. Each bamboo
surface is sanded by 220-grid sandpaper immediately before 2 mg of distilled water is
dropped onto the surface of the specimens. The angle made between the droplet and the
bamboo surface is measured after 2 seconds. Comparisons between the bamboo culm
surfaces (inner and outer surfaces) and culm parts of different species should be done.

5.3.2 LBL testing

To obtain the material and mechanical properties, tension, compression, shear
and flexural tests are conducted based on BS 373 Methods of testing small clear
specimens of timber (BS373:1957), D143-14 Standard Test Methods for Small Clear
Specimens of Timber (ASTM 2014) and BS EN 408 Timber structures – Structural
timber and glue-laminated timber (BS 2010). BS 373:1957 cross references ASTM

20
D143-09 and both are based on small clear specimens, whereas BS EN 408:2010
focuses on dimensional lumber samples. The standards, test methods, and test
parameters used are summarized in Table 1 and Figure 17. The unit used in all these
methods is mega Pascal (MPa). The specific gravity of the LBLs is determined in
accordance with BS EN 300: 1997.

Table 1. Experimental mechanical test methods for laminated bamboo lumbers

Test Specimen size Loading rate
Standard Test method Direction
schematic (cm) (mm/min)
ASTM a Parallel to grain 2.5 × 2.5 × 46 1
Tension
D143 b Perpendicular to grain 6.2 × 5 × 5 2.5
c Parallel to grain 2×2×6 0.635
BS 373 Compression
d Perpendicular to grain 5×5×5 0.635
BS 373 Shear e Parallel to grain 5×5×5 0.635
Four-point
BS EN 408 f --- 6 × 12 × 240 10
bending

Fig 17. Schematic of test methods

Pereira and Faria (2009) investigated glue laminated bamboo made from
Dendrocalamus giganteus, a species commonly found in Brazil, using Brazilian
standards for wood.

21
6 GENERAL SCHEDULE
This design is divided into two basic steps according to Table 2. The first step is
carried out to study the production of laminated bamboo lumbers. The second step is the
manufacturing laminated bamboo lumbers and analysis the properties of the product.

Table 2. Schedule of activities

2016 2017 2018 2019

Activities Trimestres
3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Literature review X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Raw material
X X X X
collection
Raw materials
X X X
characterization
Bamboo culms
X X X
production
Bamboo culms
X X X
modification
Bamboo culms
X X
characterization
Adhesives
X
preparation
LBLs making X
LBLs
X X
Characterization
Data analysis &
X X X X
Graphs
Preparation of
X X X X X
scientific papers
Thesis defense X

22
7 BUDGET
Table 3. Project budget details

Counterpart Embrapa Instrumentation * R$ 9.000

Counterpart UFLA R$ 83.620,00
1. Equipment and permanent material a
Item Qty Unit value R$ Amount R$
Handsaw 1 50 50
Wood Band Saw 1 500 500
Raw Bamboo Sawer 1 200 200
Hand Plane 1 50 50
Radial Knife 1 200 200
Wood Clamp 4 50 200
Dial Indicator Clamp 1 250 250
Tape Measure 1 20 20
Caliper 1 80 80
Glue Gun 1 40 40
Sieve 2 100 200
pH Meter 1 60 60
Balance 1 600 600
2. Consumables
2.1 Reagents
Glacial Acetic Acid 1L 40 40
Hydrogen Peroxide 1L 300 300
Phenol 1L 700 700
Boric Acid 1 kg 20 20
2.2 Laboratory glassware
Beaker 2 30 60
Lame & Lamella 1 100 100
2.3 Raw Materials
Bamboo Culms 50 un 5 250
Phenol Formaldehyde 10 kg 15 150
Urea Formaldehyde 10 kg 10 100
Soy-based Resin 5 kg 25 250
3. scholarship
Doctorate degree 36 2.200 79.200
Grand total R$ 83.620,00
* Equipment and permanent material relating to the consideration of Embrapa.
a
Equipment and permanent material relating to the consideration of UFLA.

23
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