The Ageing Behavior of Traditional Bamboo Paper: Structure and Properties

Traditional handmade bamboo paper is a commonly used material for the restoration of ancient books and the printing of classic texts. This study discussed the ageing behavior of handmade bamboo paper under dry thermal ageing conditions. The filter paper composed of cellulose serves as a reference example. The results showed that the mechanical properties of bamboo paper containing lignin remained stable for a certain period of time before declining when the pH was less than 7. While the mechanical properties of the filter paper immediately decreased when the pH falls below 7.0. Pore structure analysis indicated that bamboo paper undergoes substantial structural changes in the early stages of aging, with an increase in specific surface area and pore volume, and a decrease in average pore size. These changes then stabilize over time. This may be attributed to the fact that hemicellulose and lignin help maintain the overall integrity of the bamboo paper fibers.The study provides a scientific basis for understanding bamboo paper ageing mechanisms and offers references for preserving historical documents.