Contact Angles of Single Bamboo Fibers Measured in Different Environments and Compared with Other Plant Fibers and Bamboo Strips

The objective of this paper was to investigate the contact angles of single bamboo fibers at different temperatures and relative humidities in comparison to terylene fibers. Comparative tests were done for three other natural fibers (ramie, jute, and kendir) under the same conditions. Contact angles were also measured for bamboo strips. The results showed that with increasing temperature and constant relative humidity, the contact angles of bamboo fibers decreased, whereas those of terylene fibers increased. The contact angle of the bamboo fiber increased significantly, while that of the terylene fibers rose a little with increasing relative humidity at constant temperature. The contact angles of the single bamboo fibers were higher than those of ramie fibers, but lower than jute and kendir fibers after the same chemical treatment because of different diameters, surfaces, and chemical components. In comparison with bamboo strips, the contact angles of single bamboo fibers were much higher and changed with a different trend. Meanwhile the contact angles of cross-section, radical section, and tangential section of bamboo also changed differently.