Electrospinning Machine | Engineering transverse cell deformation ofbamboo by controlling localized moisture content

Challenge: The natural structure of bamboo is determined by the vertical growth pattern of its vascular bundles and parenchyma tissue, which limits its application in advanced engineering materials. Traditional processing methods easily destroy bamboo's inherent natural structure and have low raw material utilization rates. 

Method: Professors Guangping Han and Wanli Cheng from Northeast Forestry University collaborated with Professor Chaoji Chen from Wuhan University. They utilized directional water transport induced by different temperatures across the bamboo's transverse direction to shift the internal stress distribution from the bamboo surface to its inner layers. The movement of internal stress controlled transverse deformation. After densification, a 3D molded bamboo product that retains the natural heterogeneous structure was obtained. 

Innovation 1: The 3D bamboo has high specific strength (740.58 MPa·kg−1·m3) and impact resistance (2033.29 J/m), surpassing most renewable and non-renewable engineering materials. 

Innovation 2: Life cycle assessment shows that using 3D bamboo to replace metals and polymers in structural materials can significantly reduce carbon emissions. The "local moisture gradient-driven uneven drying" strategy proposed in this study represents a sustainable pathway for transforming natural bamboo into high-performance engineering materials.

 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59453-3