Transparent Bamboo with Multiple Light Transmittance Levels, Fiber Textures, and Colors Based on the Gradient Structure of Bamboo

Abstract

Transparent bamboo (TB) is a new type of biomass and light transmitting material with potential to serve as substitute for transparent wood. However, the potential of the bamboo structure in preparing transparent composites is underexplored. Inspired by the functional gradient structure of bamboo, a simple and efficient two‐step strategy to prepare TB with different transmittance levels, fiber textures, and colors is used. The performance of single‐ and multilayer TB with various fiber volume contents prepared using different lamination methods is evaluated. It is found that the optical and mechanical properties of TB differ with the fiber volume content and the lamination method used. TB composed of veneers with low fiber volume shows the highest light transmittance (44.6%), whereas TB composed of veneers with high fiber volume has the highest tensile strength (45.7 MPa). In terms of water resistance, cross lamination inhibits expansion in width (water absorption rate, 16.37–21.26%) and thickness (thickness swelling rate, 10.22–21.74%). The lamination structure and fiber volume content in the preparation of TB should be selected according to the specific application scenarios. The graded utilization of bamboo veneer with a fiber gradient can effectively realize the rational allocation of bamboo resources and promote sustainable development.