Physico-mechanical characterization of heat-treated glued laminated bamboo

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature on reducing the mass of giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus Munro) and on the physico-mechanical characteristics of glued laminated bamboo (glulam) as a function of the adhesives used. Stalks with an approximate age of three years were collected and divided into four sections longitudinally, which were immersed in water for 10 days and air-dried. The sections were transformed into laminas and heat-treated for one hour at 100, 140, 160, 180 and 200 degrees C. The adhesives used were based on resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF), urea-formaldehyde (UF) and polyvinyl acetate cross-linked (PVAc). The heat-treated panels were sized according to each test performed. There was a reduction in the mass of the lamina subjected to the highest heat modification temperatures. Beginning at 160 degrees C, there was an increase in the dimensional stability of the heat treated bamboo glulam (HTGLB) with RF; however, there was a decrease in the material mechanical strength values. The temperature of 160 degrees C produced the best HTGLB characteristics. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.