Fabrication and Application of Eco-friendly Bamboo Self-Bonded Composites for Furniture

Self-bonding technology is a facile and green molding approach to obtain eco-friendly and formaldehyde-free bamboo self-bonded composites (BSCs), yet the manufacture process is still immature. Here, the effects of processing parameters (moisture content of bamboo powders, hot-pressing temperature, and preset density) were comprehensively examined on the microstructure, physical properties, and mechanical properties of the BSCs for use in furniture. It was found that the optimum water resistance and mechanical properties were achieved for the BSCs made of bamboo powders of 40% moisture content. Higher temperature and preset density facilitated the formation of a more compact structure, leading to remarkable improvement in water resistance and mechanical performance. Given energy saving, the recommended processing parameters of the BSC manufacture were 40% moisture content of bamboo powders, 200 °C hot-pressing temperature, and 1.0 g/cm3 preset density, yielding high-performance BSCs with a thickness swelling of 12.8% and internal bonding strength of 0.71 MPa, which were comparable to commercial furniture-grade medium-density fiberboards. The colorful patterns could be successfully printed by a UV inkjet printer on the BSC surface and exhibited good paint film adhesion, which holds great potential for application in furniture.