The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the heat treatment time and initial moisture content of bamboo on the corresponding chemical composition, crystallinity, and mechanical properties after saturated steam heat treatment at 180 °C. The mechanism of saturated steam heat treatment of bamboo was revealed on the micro-level, providing a theoretical basis for the regulation of bamboo properties and the optimization of heat treatment process parameters. XRD patterns of the treated bamboo slices were basically the same. With the increase in the initial moisture content of bamboo, the crystallinity of bamboo increased first and then decreased after treatment. Due to the saturated steam heat treatment, the content of cellulose and lignin in bamboo slices increased while the content of hemicellulose decreased, but the content of cellulose in bamboo with a 40% initial moisture content increased first and then decreased. The shear strength of treated bamboo changed little within 10 min after saturated steam heat treatment, and then decreased rapidly. During the first 20 min with saturated steam heat treatment, the compressive strength, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of elasticity of the treated bamboo increased, and then decreased.
Keywords: bamboo; chemical content; crystallinity; mechanical property; saturated steam heat treatment.