Exploring the Application Method of Bamboo Powder in Promoting the Development of Sustainable Outdoor Furniture

With the depletion of fossil fuels, more and more green products are appearing in daily necessities. Bamboo is a common sustainable biomaterial with the characteristics of fast growth, easy bending, low cost, and easy processing, and it is widely used in furniture design. However, the poor aging resistance and UV resistance of natural bamboo materials limit their application in outdoor furniture. In order to improve the service life of outdoor bamboo furniture, this study prepared bamboo boards from bamboo powder and utilized them in the design of outdoor furniture. The research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, functional modification was carried out on the surface of bamboo fibers (BF). Epoxy resin and UV absorber ZnO were introduced into the bamboo powder matrix, and a three-dimensional network structure of bamboo powder-based polymer material was formed by adjusting the material ratio and reaction conditions. With the increase of ZnO content, the absorption of moisture by the bamboo powder-based polymer materials decreased. The compressive strength of 1.5%ZnO-Board reached 36.8 MPa, exceeding the compressive strength of C30 concrete. In the second stage, 1.5% ZnO-Board was selected for solidification and demolding, and used as the seat surface for outdoor chairs. Through the car crushing experiment, the chair panel did not undergo significant deformation during the car crushing process. The anti-aging experiment showed that the structure and morphology of the panel would not be damaged by long-term UV irradiation. The panel did not show any weight changes in the anti-water-absorption experiment. By using low-contrast color combinations, the seats can be organically integrated into the environmental background, effectively enhancing the coordination and unity of the overall aesthetic harmony of the space. Compared with the commonly used plastic outdoor seats, the outdoor seats prepared in this study showed a 144% increase in carbon reduction effect. This study highlights the potential of modified bamboo powder for the design of outdoor furniture, which is of great significance to reducing outdoor plastic products and promoting sustainable life.