Land use issues have dramatically changed the timber supply outlook for our nation's forest products industry. Since demand for wood products shows no sign of abating, alternative products must be developed. Bamboo is a very promising alternative raw material for the manufacture of structural composite products. It is fast growing, economical, renewable and abundant throughout the world. Bamboo has physical and mechanical properties that are comparable to many commercial timber species, and thus, may easily be processed using existing technology from the wood-based composites industry. Bamboo can be cultivated in the U.S., and thus has the potential to relieve some of the harvesting pressure from our nation's forestlands. However, the use of specific bamboo species for structural composite products will require a thorough investigation of the material as well as its interaction with other components. Thus, the primary objective of this dissertation is to determine the properties of Calcutta bamboo and its interaction with adhesives. The properties investigated were relative density, dimensional stability, equilibrium moisture content, bending strength and stiffness, tensile strength, pH, buffer capacity, wettability and the adhesive penetration. In addition to this, a prototype bamboo parallel strip lumber (BPSL) was manufactured and tested for its physical and mechanical properties. The relationships among the properties of Calcutta bamboo and the prototype bamboo composite were also investigated. As the result of these investigations, it is concluded that Calcutta bamboo is technically a suitable raw material for structural composite products. This result may also be applicable for the utilization of other bamboo species, thus aiding companies in decisions regarding investment in bamboo plantations and manufacturing facilities in the U.S, Malaysia and other parts of the world. The primary benefits from this research may be the development of new products to serve growing markets, and thereby relieving some of the pressure to harvest forestlands. / Ph. D.

Two commercial carboxymethylcellulose acetate butyrate (CMCAB) polymers, high and low molecular weight (MW) forms, were analyzed in this study. High-solids water-borne dispersions of these polymers were studied as renewable wood adhesives. Neat polymer analyses revealed that the apart from MW, the CMCAB systems had different acid values, and that the high MW system was compromised with gel particle contaminants. Formulation of the polymer into water-dispersions was optimized for this study, and proved the "direct method", in which all formulation components were mixed at once in a sealed vessel, was the most efficient preparation technique. Applying this method, 4 high-solids water dispersions were prepared and evaluated with viscometry, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, light and fluorescence microscopy, and mode I fracture testing. Thermal analyses showed that the polymer glass transition temperature significantly increased when bonded to wood. CMCAB dispersions produced fairly brittle adhesive-joints; however, it is believed toughness can likely be improved with further formulation optimization. Lastly, dispersion viscosity, film formation, adhesive penetration and joint-performance were all dependent on the formulation solvents, and moreover, these properties appeared to correlate with each other. / Master of Science