Some Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Mat-Wood Veneer Plywood

This paper presents the manufacturing of bamboo mat-wood veneer plywood (BW ply ) for higher strength purposes using muli bamboo (Melocanna baccifera) mat and simul (Bombax ceiba) wood veneer and urea formaldehyde resin, and its basic physical and mechanical properties. To compare the properties of BW ply , bamboo mat plywood (B ply ) and wood veneer plywood (W ply ) were produced. Physical properties i.e., density, moisture content, water absorption and thickness swelling; and mechanical properties i.e., modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), face and edge screw withdrawal and tensile strength (TS) perpendicular to surface of BW ply , B ply and W ply were tested according to the procedure of ASTM standard D-1037. Water absorption of BW ply , B ply and W ply were 30.83, 28.62 and 65.5%, respectively. Further, MOE of BW ply , B ply and W ply were 5276, 6176 and 3879 N/mm 2 , respectively. MOR was higher for BW ply (39.5 N/mm 2 ) compared to the B ply and W ply panels. Though some properties of BW ply were lower than that of the B ply , the properties of BW ply meet the minimum requirements of ASTM standard. Finally, the results indicate that BW ply made from bamboo mat and wood veneer exhibits superior physical and strength properties compared to the commercial plywood made for structural purposes.