Influence of heat treatment on the physicochemical properties of bamboo and the interface performance of structural bamboo composites

With the growing focus for sustainable construction materials, it is essential to explore the influence of heat treatment on bamboo's properties to optimize its use in structural composites, such as structural bamboo composites (SBC). Herein, we focused on the evaluation of physicochemical property of bamboo heat treated at temperature ranged from 140 to 200 degrees C and its further influence on the bonding performance of SBC. The results showed that low-temperature treatment at 140 degrees C leading to the formation of nanoscale pores within cell walls, improving shear strength (SS) by 7.71 %. Conversely, high-temperature treatment at 200 degrees C resulted in the disappearance of these pores, a 28.96 % decrease in resin absorption, and a 22.11 % decrease in SS. The bonding performance of SBC showed non-liner trends with the increasing temperature. Low-temperature treatment improving bonding performance owing to "glue nails" within the cell walls, while high-temperature treatment weakened the bonding performance due to the weaker interface of the bamboo itself. These findings lay foundation for interface failure mechanism and property regulation research in SBC and underscore the importance of optimizing heat treatment processes to enhance the structural applications of SBC.