Thermal Degradation Analysis on 4-year-old Culms of Cultivated Tropical Bamboo Bambusa Vulgaris

Abstract

The thermal degradation of matured 4-year-old culms of cultivated tropical bamboo Bambusa vulgariswas studied and analyzed. The analysis using the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis revealed the presence of basic functional groups in the bamboo which consists mainly of ester, carbonyl, and hydroxyl groups. The chemicals present in the bamboo vary depending on the location of the samples taken from the bamboo culms. The moisture content and extractive were omitted in the kinetic study since theyconstituted less than 10% of the overall chemicals in bamboo and observed below 100℃. Low reactivity of lignin components and hemicellulose in bamboo occurred due to the peculiarities of the chemical structure and composition. The mechanism of the decomposition reactions taken as a three-step reaction which involved the activation energies and dynamics related to volatile fractions of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Activation energies of 46, 100, 105, 127, and 236 kJ/molapplied for all of the bamboos. The activation energy carried could provide better insight into the thermal decomposition process. It provides more information on critical energy needed to start a reaction. The decomposition activation energy range obtained could assist in understanding the thermal decomposition stability of the bamboo fibers and application in natural fiber reinforced polymer composite industry.