Mechanical superiority of Pseudoxytenanthera bamboo for sustainable engineering solutions

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 18169
• Main Authors: Jiyas, N., Sasidharan, Indu, Bindu Kumar, K., Gopakumar, B., Dan, Mathew, Sabulal, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24-10-2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/166/988; 639/301/1023/1025; 639/301/1023/303; 639/638/11; 639/638/11/2257; 639/638/11/879; 639/638/11/942; 639/638/403/931; Bambusa balcooa; Cellulose; Environmental engineering; Fibers; Genetic resources; Hardwoods; Hemicellulose; High temperature; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lignocellulose; Mechanical properties; multidisciplinary; Pectin; Plant resources; Pseudoxytenanthera ritchiei; Pseudoxytenanthera stocksii; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sustainable use
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45523-3

The advancement in natural fibre composites has replaced synthetic fibres in various commercial sectors. Bamboo species possess high mechanical properties due to their lignocellulosic fibre content, which makes them suitable for engineering applications and potential alternatives to solid wood. However, despite Bamboo being composed of 130 genera and 1700 different species, out of which many still remains underexplored. In this study, we investigated the, Lignocellulosic profiling, fibre strength, and mechanical characterization of two species of Pseudoxytenanthera Bamboo:
Pseudoxytenanthera ritchiei
,
Pseudopxytenanthera stocksii
, and the results obtained were compared with
Bambusa balcooa
, one of the priority species of bamboo identified by The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) was used to quantify the samples’ density, while SEM–EDX and FTIR spectroscopy were used for elemental analysis. The samples were then subjected to tensile test in addition, thermogravimetric analysis and water absorption test were carried out for the three species. The results showed that Pseudoxytenanthera species possessed superior chemical and mechanical characteristics compared to the priority species of bamboo used for composites. Out of the two Pseudoxytenanthera species studied,
Pseudoxytenanthera stocksii
exhibited the highest values of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin, ash, carbon, and silicon, indicating its chemical superiority. Moreover,
Pseudoxytenanthera stocksii
also showed higher mechanical values for tensile strength, making it suitable for a variety of engineering applications. The TGA values also indicated that
Pseudoxytenanthera stocksii
is stable at high temperatures when compared with other natural fibres.