Investigation on thermal degradation of bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) culm at varied heating rates through TG analyzer

Abstract

Bamboo biomass is considered as a renewable energy source due to its intrinsic energy and regrow in a comparatively shorter time. Bamboo stem is called as culm which can be thermo chemically processed to produce energy in the form of solid (charcoal) liquid (biooil) and gaseous (syn gas) products. To assess the potential for thermal energy generation, thermogravimetric analysis of bamboo culm at four different heating rates (10, 20, 30 and 40 ºC min-1) was performed. Thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry plots at selected heating rates revealed that better moisture removal (0.84 %°C-1) at 20ºC min-1; higher cellulose and hemicellulose degradation (7.00 %°C-1) at 30ºC min-1 and faster rate of degradation of higher volatiles and carbon (1.62 %°C-1) at 20ºC min-1. It can be used to design the thermochemical conversion units for the processing of solid biomass into energy and chemical derivatives.