bamboo
A giant grass of the tribe Bambusseae, located in
the tropical areas of the Eastern Hemisphere, and
cultivated successfully in some parts of the
southern United States. The fibers are not unlike
those of straw in many aspects. Bamboo fibers have
an average length of 2.4mm., which puts them
between the softwood and hardwood fibers. It is
used extensively in India for the manufacture of
all grades of chemical pulp and paper. Paper made
from it is relatively soft and bulky, with a high
tearing resistance but relatively low burst and
tensile strength. Although writing and printing
papers are produced from 100% bamboo pulp,
superior results are realized when the bamboo is
blended with other pulps that increase burst and
tensile strength.
Bamboo is also the traditional material used in
making molds and other devices used in the
manufacture of handmade paper. (17 , 143 )
![[CoOL]](/icons/sm_cool.gif){kind=icon}