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This study aims to evaluate the mechanical properties of rattan/polymer composites prepared by polymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA). The P. kerrana rattan samples were impregnated in a vacuum system and polymerized in an oven at 60 °C for 8 h, using 0.5 wt.% of azobisisobutyronitrile as a catalyst. The macro-mechanical properties of the treated and untreated samples were analyzed. The bending modulus and strength of the treated rattan increased by 206% and 215%, respectively. Additionally, the compressive modulus and strength increased by 109% and 107%, compared to untreated rattan. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that MMA penetrated the cell lumen. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that MMA diffused into the parenchyma and vessels, but it was not found in the fiber wall. Thus, it can be inferred that the improvement in the mechanical properties of treated rattan was mainly caused by the strengthened parenchyma and vessels. Modification with MMA was shown to be an effective way to enhance the macro-mechanical properties of P. kerrana.

This study investigated the mechanical behavior and the variation of Dendrocalamus farinosus single fibres, which were isolated from fibre bundles using a chemical method. A micro-tester was applied to determine the influence of the age of the bamboo sampled, as well as the longitudinal and radial positions, on three indicators featuring tensile properties at the fibre level. The results indicated that the single fibres had a brittle failure mode, resulting in average tensile strength and tensile modulus (MOE) values of 1.06 and 26.93 GPa, respectively. The differing ages and positions across the whole culm appeared to be minor in relation to their tensile properties, which reached a near-optimal state at 2 years old and remained fairly constant. This work could provide basic-data for further research on bamboo properties and increase attention to a potential supplementary material to moso bamboo in industrial utilization.

The in situ imaging nanoindentation technique was used to investigate the effect of age, culm height, and radial position on the cell wall mechanical properties of bamboo (Dendrocalamus farinosus) along the longitudinal direction of culms. The results indicated that among our four-sampled culm ages, the fiber cell wall had average values for the elastic modulus (MOE) and hardness (HL) of 18.56 GPa and 410.72 MPa, respectively. The ages of the culm had no significant effect on the observed MOE and HL among the 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old D. farinosus test specimens, with similar results observed at three different culm heights and radial positions. Furthermore, longitudinal MOE and HL values along the thickness of the cell wall were uneven, with average values for the middle lamella and the edge near the cavity only 20.97% to 29.78% and 9.22% to 31.71%, respectively, of the values found in the cell wall.

The cell wall mechanical properties are an important indicator for evaluating the overall mechanical properties of natural bamboo fibers. Using the nanoindentation technique, the variation of the mechanical properties of the fiber cell wall of Bambusa pervariabilis culms with different ages and different positions (both radial and longitudinal) was studied. Moreover, x-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to measure the microfibril angle (MFA), and the correlation between the MFA and the mechanical properties of the fiber cell wall. The results showed that there was a remarkable difference in the fiber cell wall mechanical properties at different ages and at different radial and longitudinal positions. However, at different ages and at different positions, the absolute value of variation of MFA was less than 1° and was very minor. Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between the fiber cell wall mechanics and MFA, indicating that the mechanical property of the fiber cell walls might be synergistically affected by many factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the mechanical behavior and the variation of Dendrocalamus farinosus single fibres, which were isolated from fibre bundles using a chemical method. A micro-tester was applied to determine the influence of the age of the bamboo sampled, as well as the longitudinal and radial positions, on three indicators featuring tensile properties at the fibre level. The results indicated that the single fibres had a brittle failure mode, resulting in average tensile strength and tensile modulus (MOE) values of 1.06 and 26.93 GPa, respectively. The differing ages and positions across the whole culm appeared to be minor in relation to their tensile properties, which reached a near-optimal state at 2 years old and remained fairly constant. This work could provide basic-data for further research on bamboo properties and increase attention to a potential supplementary material to moso bamboo in industrial utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]