Feasibility of protecting bamboo surface by high temperature wax penetration

The permeability, hydrophobicity, glass transition temperature, crystallinity and chemical composition of bamboo subjected to wax-scalding heat treatment were detected using depth-of-field microscopy, contact angle measurement, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffractometry, and infrared spectrometry. Effects of wax scalding technology and formula on bamboo properties were studied from three aspects: temperature, time, and wax species. The improved wax scalding technology was found to have a good penetration effect and to achieve hydrophobic and mildew-proof effects. At the heat treatment temperature of 180 °C, a good permeation effect was achieved and the hydrophobicity of bamboo was increased. The penetration depth of wax in bamboo within 2 min decreased with the shortening of wax scalding time. However, the infiltration effect was not obvious with the prolonging of time, and increasing preheating treatment will obviously improve the permeability. The effect was the best after preheating and wax scalding at 180 °C for 2 min. Mixed experiments of various waxes showed that the wax had the best penetration effect into bamboo when the ratio of paraffin wax to white wax was 5:4:2, the wax scalding temperature was 180 °C (above which the wax begins to sublimate), and the wax scalding time was 2 min.