Vascular bundle characteristics and mechanical properties of Dendrocalamus sinicus

Understanding the structure and mechanical properties of the material is a prerequisite for exploiting its potential. Here, this study aims to investigate the basic information and distribution characteristics of the vascular bundles and mechanical properties of Dendrocalamus sinicus to provide theoretical and technical guidance for its exploitation. Nanoindentation, macro-mechanical tests and a recognition model based on the YOLO algorithm developed by the group were used to reveal its structure, micro-mechanics and macro-mechanics. The results revealed that the length, width, length-to-width ratio (The ratio of the length to the width of a single vascular bundle) and area of individual vascular bundles were distributed with a quadratic function along the radial direction, and the mean values of both fiber volume fraction and area of fiber sheath were high, reaching 34.11 % and 0.3301 mm2, respectively. The nanoindentation measurement showed Dendrocalamus sinicus had excellent mechanical properties with an indentation modulus of elasticity of 24.10 GPa and a hardness of vascular bundles of 626.03 MPa. Dendrocalamus sinicus consisting of a large proportion of high-strength fiber sheaths made it highly significant to exhibit excellent macro-mechanical performances, suggesting that Dendrocalamus sinicus has a huge potential for exploitation and can be used as materials for furniture, construction and other fields. It has the potential to replace traditional building materials such as steel and concrete in the future.