PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com Adamu et al. (2020). “Bamboo nanocomposites,” BioResources 15(1), 331-346. 331 Bamboo Nanocomposite: Impact of Poly (Ethylene-alt- Maleic Anhydride) and Nanoclay on Physicochemical, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties Muhammad Adamu, a,b, * Md. Rezaur Rahman, a and Sinin Hamdan c The effects of montmorillonite nanoclay and poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) via vacuum impregnation technique in relation to the physicochemical, mechanical, and thermal properties of bamboo- reinforced nanocomposites were investigated. The functional groups in the raw bamboo and nanocomposites were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction plots showed the prominent peak intensity at a diffraction angle of 73° due to the transformation of the amorphous structure to a crystalline structure in the prepared nanocomposite. The morphologies of the raw bamboo and the nanocomposites were compared using scanning electron microscopy analysis. There was an increase in the modulus of elasticity from 7.82 to 19.0 GPa (143%) and a corresponding increase in the modulus of rupture from 68.7 to 121.5 MPa (77%) of the raw bamboo to the nanocomposites, respectively. This increase implied a high increase in the mechanical properties of the developed nanocomposite. Both results from the differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis showed appreciable improvements in the thermal properties of the developed nanocomposite. Keywords: Bamboo; Nanocomposite; Impregnation technique; Mechanical strength Contact information: a: Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia. b: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Corporate Headquarters, Abuja, Nigeria; c: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia; *Corresponding author: pullogurin@gmail.com INTRODUCTION The application of nanotechnology for upgrading both structural and functional properties of synthetic polymers has emerged as a new area of research among material scientists and engineers (Olad 2011; Shahadat et al. 2015). Though the synthesis and application of nanotechnology for production of new composite materials are well- recognized, there is a need to mitigate the current challenge of having materials that are durable, sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly (Muhammad et al. 2019). Thus, there is considerable interest for the continuous search for low-cost reinforced composites using only biodegradables (Yates and Barlow 2013; Thakur et al. 2014; Lu et al. 2015; Varghese and Mittal 2018). As the global economy grows, there is a proportional increase in the world’s demand for wood (Bais et al. 2015). Present figures indicate that wood trade has exceeded 1.8 billion m 3 , with the Asia-Pacific countries accounting for approximately 24% of the global market (Buongiorno et al. 2011). This demand for high-quality wood has led to non- renewable removal of hard wood in many developing nations and has become a serious