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An aqueous blend of monoethanolamine (MEA) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim]BF4) for CO2 absorption from simulated flue gas was investigated using a double stirred cell at a CO2 partial pressure of 15 kPa. It was found that the values of the enhancement factor (E) and the second-order reaction rate constant (k 2,mix) for CO2 absorption into mixed solution were higher than those into a single MEA aqueous solution with the same MEA concentration. k 2,mix and k 2, IL were found to be 3487.6 m3·kmol–1·s–1 and 1936.7 m3·kmol–1·s–1 at 303.15 K, respectively. The Arrhenius equation of CO2 absorption was also estimated. The results proved the assumption that [Bmim]BF4 had an active effect on the CO2 hydration. The diffusion and solubility of the absorbent in the solution were the limiting factors of the reaction.

It is highly desirable to develop green and renewable structural materials from biomaterials to replace synthetic materials involved from civil engineering to aerospace industries. Herein, we put forward a facile but effective top–down strategy to convert natural bamboo into bamboo steel. The fabrication process of bamboo steel involves the removal of lignin and hemicellulose, freeze-drying followed by epoxy infiltration, and densification combined with in situ solidification. The prepared bamboo steel is a super-strong composite material with a high specific tensile strength (302 MPa g–1 cm3), which is higher than that (227 MPa g–1 cm3) of conventional high specific strength steel. The bamboo steel demonstrates a high tensile strength of 407.6 MPa, a record flexural strength of 513.8 MPa, and a high toughness of 14.08 MJ/m3, which is improved by 360, 290, and 380% over those of natural bamboo, respectively. Particularly, the mechanical properties of the bamboo steel are the highest among the biofiber-reinforced polymer composites reported previously. The well-preserved bamboo scaffolds assure the integrity of bamboo fibers, while the densification under high pressure results in a high-fiber volume fraction with an improved hydrogen bonding among the adjacent bamboo fibers, and the epoxy resin impregnated enhances the stress transfer because of its chemical crosslinking with cellulose molecules. These endow the bamboo steel with superior mechanical performance. Furthermore, the bamboo steel demonstrates an excellent thermal insulating capability with a low thermal conductivity (about 0.29 W/mK). In addition, the bamboo steel shows a low coefficient of thermal expansion (about 6.3 × 10–6 K–1) and a very high-dimensional stability to moisture attack. The strategy of fabricating high-performance bamboo steel with green and abundant natural bamboo as raw materials is highly attractive for the sustainable development of structural engineering materials.