Bamboo Species

Phyllostachis Pubescens (common name: Moso)

Hardness

Testing to ASTM 1037 procedures, strand woven bamboo displays a hardness of 16:1 KN.

Density: 1.15 -1.30g /cm3

Anti-bending intensity: 114.7 kg /cm3

Hardness: as per ASTM D 1037 Janka ball test: 2820 psi

Dimensional Stability

Bamboo flooring produced a dimensional change coefficient of .00144, making it 2.5 times more stable than commonly used wood flooring.

Flammability

Using ASTM E648 Critical Radiant Panel Test, treated bamboo flooring passes with a Class 1 rating according to the NFPA 'Life Safety Code', making it usable in all buildings.

Smoke Density

Testing to ASTM E622 where passing is 450 or less, bamboo flooring passes with a 270 rating in flaming mode, and a 330 rating in non-flaming mode.

Compressive Strength

Testing to ASTM 3501-86 A, produced:

Compression parallel to grain: 7600 PSI
Compression perpendicular to grain: 2624 PSI

Modulus of Elasticity

940,000 PSI

Formaldehyde emission:0.2mg/L

With 0.02 mg formaldehyde per cubic meter of air, the adhesive used to laminate the bamboo strips which form UF flooring off-gasses 6.5 times less than allowed under the stringent European (E1) standards which are 0.13 mg per cubic meter of air. The European standards are more strict than US standards.

In November 1987, OSHA proposed the occupational standard for formaldehyde exposure be reduced from 3 parts per million (ppm) to 1 PPM, averaged over an 8 hour work day. This proposal became law. In May 1992, the law was amended with the formaldehyde exposure limit reduced to 0.75 PPM (This information can be obtained through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Public Affairs Office, Room N3647, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Phone: 202-693-1999.) Given .75 PPM regulations and .0155 for UF adhesive product, UF is 48 x less than the allowance by American standards.

Conversion to Parts Per Million by Volume

Conversions from '0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air' to 'ppmv (parts per million by volume)'.

At ambient air pressure of 1 atmosphere and a temperature of 60 degrees F (15.56 degrees C), 0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air = 0.0149 ppmvme.

At ambient air pressure of 1 atmosphere and a temperature of 70 degrees F (21.11 degrees C), 0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air = 0.0152 ppmv.

At ambient air pressure of 1 atmosphere and a temperature of 80 degrees F (26.67 degrees C), 0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air = 0.0155 ppmv.

The molecular weight of formaldehyde, at 30.03, was used in the conversions.