Manufacture of Wood Veneer-Bamboo Zephyr Composite Board

Wood veneer-bamboo zephyr composite board (WBCB) was manufactured to evaluate the properties of bamboo as alternative raw materials for the manufacture of composite panels. Bamboo zephyr was prepared using Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubesens Mazel. et Z), Giant timber bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides Sieb. et Zucc), and Hachiku bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra var. henosos Stapf). The effect of age and species of bamboo on zephyr production was investigated in terms of the pass number of bamboo split through the rollers, and the width increasing rate of bamboo split. Five-ply WBCBs were produced with Kerning veneers as face and back layers, leading to three layers of bamboo zephyr sheets as core layer. Each layer was placed so that its grain direction was at right angles to that of the adjacent layer and the layers were bonded together with phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin. The pass number of bamboo split was increased with an increase of the thickness of culm wall. At the same thickness, Moso bamboo showed no effect of the age of bamboo on the pass number. The pass number of split of Giant timber bamboo was lower than that of Moso bamboo. No significant effect of bamboo species and age on the width of zephyr produced was observed. The width of zephyr obtained could be expressed as a function of diameter multiplied by thickness of culm wall. The physical and mechanical properties of WBCB manufactured in all given conditions did not show any significant differences, and they were above the requirement of Korean Standard (KS).