Bamboo causes an environmental problem between other plants because of its propagative power in the growth areas in Japan. Therefore, we attempted to produce a bamboo-plastic composite as an effective uses of bamboo material. The properties of bamboo flour-plastic composites with an 80 percent filler content were examined using waste bamboo flour, polypropylene (PP), and maleic anhydride-modified polypropylene (MAPP) and/or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a lignocellulosic material, a thermoplastic polymer, and a compatibilizer, respectively. The compounds were manufactured using a Henschel type mixer. The composite boards were molded by a hot platen and a conical twin-screw extruder. The bending fracture strength and water resistance of the composites were evaluated. The composite boards made by compression molding and extrusion molding showed good fracture strengths and water resistance with the addition of a compatibilizer. The extruded composites showed better fracture strengths and water resistance than the composites made by compression molding. The mechanical properties of boards made by extrusion molding showed good performance with a bamboo flour:PP:MAPP ratio of 80:20:2. Bending fracture strength was 74 MPa and thickness swelling after 24-hour immersion in water was 1 percent. The color of the composites thickened with the addition of an additive. The composites took on luster and smoothness with the addition of PTFE.
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