Abstract:

Bamboo, a kind of forest resources only less important than wood, is especially easy to mildew and discolor during outdoor service. In this work, TiO₂ sols were synthesized under low-temperature condition by sol-gel method. The crystalline TiO₂ film with a diameter of approximate 40-90 nm was coated on the bamboo at low temperature. The TiO₂ films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope（FESEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and energy dispersive X-ray analysis（EDAX）. The effect of temperature and coating times on film crystal forms and its anti-photodiscoloration properties were mainly investigated. The results showed that nano-TiO₂ -modified bamboo in low temperature solution was mainly covered with nano TiO₂ film, which significantly improved the anti-photodiscoloration properties of bamboo，and confirmed the protective performance of TiO₂ films. The total color difference（ΔE） of the nano- TiO₂ -modified bamboo, coated for three times at the temperature of 105 ℃, was only one half of the control sample after 120 h acceleration weathering. This method was expected to become the new way of functional improvement on bamboo, and it had the reference meaning for the protection and improvement of wood and other biologic materials.

Key words: bamboo, TiO₂, nano film, anti-photodiscoloration