Abstract
Japanese timber bamboo (Madake) was hot-pressed in order to obtain increased mechanical properties, such as flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength. The hot-pressing conditions were varied in the following range: temperature, room temperature to 220°C : pressure, 5 to 100MPa. The flexural strength, compressive strength and Izod impact strength increased with increasing molding temperature up to 160°C, showing the maximum peak values, but thereafter decreased. The effect of molding pressure on the mechanical properties was also examined. Densification at both vascular bundles and parenchyma cells region was achieved at the molding pressure of 50MPa.
