Green-color conservation of ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus) treated with chromium-based reagents

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to search for appropriate chemical reagents without arsenic to use as green-color protectors for ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) culms and to compare the effectiveness of these reagents for green-color conservation. Bamboo culms treated with chromated copper phosphate (CCP) or chromated phosphate (CP), which were developed by us, exhibit a greener color than those treated with Boliden K-33 (type B chromated copper arsenate).The experimental results revealed that among the chemicals employed, CrO₃ and H₃PO₄ were key components in conserving the green color of bamboo epidermis, and their ratio definitely affected the effectiveness of green-color conservation. When the CrO₃/H₃PO₄ ratio was 1∶1, the treated bamboo culms displayed the greenest color. Among all the bamboo culms treated with different formulations of inorganic salts, the one treated with CP (1% CrO₃, 1% H₃PO₄) had the best green-color conservation, enhanced by increasing the duration of treatment.