A Novel Flame-Retardant, Smoke-Suppressing, and Superhydrophobic Transparent Bamboo
upstart writes:
Silica glass, known for its brittleness, weight, and non-biodegradable nature, faces challenges in finding suitable alternatives.
Transparent wood, made by infusing polymers into wood, shows promise but is hindered by limited availability of wood in China and fire risks associated with its use. This study explores the potential of utilizing bamboo, which has a shorter growth cycle, as a valuable resource for developing flame-retardant, smoke-suppressing, and superhydrophobic transparent bamboo. A 3-layered flame-retardant barrier, composed of a top silane layer, an intermediate layer of SiO2 formed through hydrolysis-condensation of Na2SiO3 on the surface, and an inner layer of Na2SiO3, has been confirmed to be effective in reducing heat release, slowing flame spread, and inhibiting the release of combustible volatiles, toxic smoke, and CO.
Compared to natural bamboo and other congeneric transparent products, the transparent bamboo displays remarkable superiority, with the majority of parameters being notably lower by an entire order of magnitude.
It achieves a long ignition time of 116 s, low total heat release (0.7 MJ/m2), low total smoke production (0.063 m2), and low peak CO concentration (0.008 kg/kg). Moreover, when used as a substrate for perovskite solar cells, the transparent bamboo displays the potential to act as a light management layer, leading to a marked efficiency enhancement of 15.29%. The excellent features of transparent bamboo make it an enticing choice for future advancements in flame-retardant glasses and optical devices.
Bamboo, often referred to as "the second forest", boasts a rapid growth and regeneration rate, allowing it to reach maturity and be utilized as a building material within 4 to 7 years of growth. With an output 4 times higher than wood per acre, bamboo is recognized for its exceptional efficiency. In terms of chemical composition, bamboo shares similarities with wood, mainly consisting of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Furthermore, the internal hierarchical structure of bamboo closely resembles that of wood, featuring high porosity and permeability because of neatly arranged vertical channels.
This characteristic suggests the potential use of bamboo in the production of transparent composite materials. Transparent bamboo offers 3 distinct advantages over traditional silica glass. Firstly, the abundant and renewable nature of bamboo feedstock aligns with environmental sustainability goals. Secondly, transparent bamboo exhibits high light transmittance and haze, enabling privacy while facilitating the entry of natural light indoors. Lastly, the low density and excellent ability to regulate temperature and humidity from a bamboo template further position it as a promising alternative to conventional glass.
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