Chemical structure of hemicellulosic polymers isolated from bamboo bio‐composite during mold pressing

Hemicelluloses were analyzed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and derivative thermogravimetric analysis (DTG) in order to investigate the chemical structure of hemicellulose isolated from bamboo natural polymers bio‐composites prepared under different mold pressing conditions. The results show that a temperature of 230°C with a pressing time of 20 min resulted in optimal yield of hemicellulosic polymers and relative content of sugars and uronic acids. The thermal degradation of xylose can be restrained through the addition of lignin. The FT‐IR, the TGA, and the DTG analysis backed the findings. FT‐IR spectra of bamboo and bamboo bio‐composites (BBC) were similar. TGA curves of Ram, H1, and H2 were similar, other curves were similar. Whereas DTG curves of Ram and H1 were similar, and other curves were similar. The addition of lignin could potentially decrease the thermal degradation of hemicellulose during mold pressing. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2009–2015, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers