Rapid process natural bamboo into outdoor bamboo-fiber-reinforced composite with high surface photostability

Abstract

Surface photostability strongly influences the usefulness of bamboo and bamboo-based polymer composites in outdoor environments. In this study, accelerated aging tests were conducted to investigate how UV irradiation affects the color, surface appearance, and chemical characteristics of outdoor bamboo-fiber-reinforced composite (OBFRC) prepared from moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) by a three-step process involving phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin impregnation. The surface color of natural bamboo (NB) changes rapidly during irradiation, but that of OBFRC remains relatively stable: densification mitigates the negative effects of UV irradi-ation. More generally, OBFRC exhibits enhanced surface photostability caused by structural and chemical modifications.