Influence of cell wall structure on the fracture behavior of bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) fibers

To improve the fundamental understanding of the fracture behavior of bamboo, this study was conducted to evaluate the fracture modes of bamboo fibers pertaining to their cell wall microstructure. The tension fractured fibers were selected from raptured bamboo specimens under bending and analyzed using environmental scanning electron microscopy. Three main fracture types were identified according to the fiber cell wall structure. Fibers with small diameters and fewer layers were found to have brittle fractures. As the number of layers increased, the alternating microfibril angles and decreasing layer thickness caused the fracture to change from brittle to more ductile or splintering tension failure. Pits had little or no effect on the fracture behavior.