Green-color conservation of ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus) treated with chromium-based reagents

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to search for appropriate chemical reagents without arsenic to use as green-color protectors for ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) culms and to compare the effectiveness of these reagents for green-color conservation. Bamboo culms treated with chromated copper phosphate (CCP) or chromated phosphate (CP), which were developed by us, exhibit a greener color than those treated with Boliden K-33 (type B chromated copper arsenate). The experimental results revealed that among the chemicals employed, CrO3 and H3PO4 were key components in conserving the green color of bamboo epidermis, and their ratio definitely affected the effectiveness of green-color conservation. When the CrO3/H3PO4 ratio was 1:1, the treated bamboo culms displayed the greenest color. Among all the bamboo culms treated with different formulations of inorganic salts, the one treated with CP (1% CrO3, 1% H3PO4) had the best green-color conservation, enhanced by increasing the duration of treatment.