I've noticed numerous items made from Bamboo in shops- everything from plates to cups to trays to ipad stands .....
When I think of Bamboo growing, I think of a hollow tube, in 'sections'. I appreciate that Bamboo can grow to be very large, so these tubes may well be far larger in diameter than a garden cane.
However, I'm curious how they go from, even large diameter, Bamboo, to the various objects mentioned.
Do thing turn the bamboo to chips / dust and make something like MDF?
For bamboo socks etc, I think they pulp it to fibres, then dissolve the cellulose and spin that as Rayon. Maybe the plates stop at the fibre/pulp stage and get pressed into moulds?
For things like chopping boards they glue strips of bamboo to make sheet timber - similiar to how you make a pine table from much smaller trees. The pieces might be a couple of centimetres across, so could be the wall of a 6" diameter bamboo. For thicker pieces you could make something like blockboard with crossed layers.
I'd guess once you have solid timber you can then machine it like any other wood. If the items are decorative like a plate or tray you might take a sheet of bamboo made that way and then press it into shape.
I suppose you can also use bamboo fibres like cardboard, eg for disposable cutlery.
Theo
There is a sort of recall for some Bamboo items FSA : "Businesses are being told that they should not be selling plastic containers or utensils which contain bamboo and other plant-based materials, for example rice husks, wheat straw and hemp."
"The COT determined that, in some cases, the presence of bamboo and similar plant-based matter in plastic materials could result in the migration of the plastic components, such as formaldehyde or melamine, into food or drink above their legal limit. Whilst it is very unlikely that the initial use of these products would result in an immediate health risk, the long-term impacts from regular use of such items remains uncertain due to a lack of evidence."
Theo
Thank you everyone who responded.
It seems there are a few techniques being used. Plus some possible dangers.
For anyone who hasn’t seen the cups / plates etc, it looks very like melamine and has the same ‘feel’ - ie it doesn’t feel cold like ceramic and has a slightly matin / satin finish rather than a gloss finish.
Some 'compostable' cultery is PLA (same as basic 3d printer filament) - it looks plastic-y. Maybe they mix bamboo fibres into that to give it strength? That would make it industrially compostable (but not in your garden compost heap unless it got very hot).
Theo
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