Mechanical Properties of a Carbonized Bamboo Flour/Phenol Resin Composite

Because bamboo flour shows a rather more fiber-like shape rather than wood flour does, it is expected that a combination of bamboo flour and phenol exhibits higher mechanical properties, as compared to those of wood ceramics. After a bamboo flour/phenol resin composite was carbonized at 800 o C and 1,500 o C, its bending properties were investigated. Results show that the bending properties of the carbonized composite are comparable to those of wood ceramics. Regarding the effects of carbonizing temperatures, the composite elastic modulus carbonized at 1,500 o C shows a higher value than that carbonized at 800 o C. In addition, the electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) was conducted. The result of 1,500 o C shows that silicon carbide (SiC) occurs finely and dispersedly. The bending modulus obtained at 1,500 o C is improved probably because such occurrence of SiC makes it stiffer. In this paper, wear properties of the composite were investigated further.