Non-Chemical Treatment
A more environment-friendly approach of treating bamboos is the use of non-chemical treatments. These can be through smoking, heat treatment, or irradiation.
SMOKING
This process involves the continuous deployment of smoke created from firing of coconut husks or other materials until the desired moisture content is achieved. Smoking is known to destroy the starch component and decrease the moisture content of bamboo making it less palatable and attractive to bio-deteriorating agents primarily the powder post beetles.
HEAT TREATMENT
Heat treatment is another non-chemical treatment for bamboos which uses heat conducting medium that can alter the physical and chemical properties of the material. In this process, it is very vital to monitor the changes in temperature in order to determine the optimum amount that is being supplied in the material.
IRRADIATION
Irradiation is also an advantageous method of treating bamboos. Gamma radiation can easily penetrate the cells of the material making it a promising method for disinfecting the already infested materials. In addition, the use of irradiation for bamboo can result in the inhibition of pest reproduction and death of the insect itself.
Science in a creative industry.
The DOST-FPRDI has a Bamboo Musical Instruments Innovation R&D program aimed at improving the quality of locally-made bamboo musical instruments (BMIs) through science and innovative technologies. The program seeks to standardize the production of selected BMIs, develop prototype designs, analyze raw material sources and existing markets, and build a BMI processing facility. In addition, the program aims to document the ethnocultural story behind several BMIs and identify the bamboo species used in BMI production to promote public awareness and appreciation of the cultural importance of these musical instruments. The program is a collaboration with the University of the Philippines and Philippine Normal University for teaching modules and analyzing sound quality and standardization of BMI design. The DOST Grants-in-Aid program provides funding.
PhBMI