Dynamic Variation of Fuel Properties of Tonkin Cane (Pseudosasa amabilis) during Maturation

Abstract

Bamboo is a potential feedstock for bioenergy production. Pseudosasa amabilis is a common bamboo species in south China and commonly known as Tonkin Cane. It has a high biomass yield, and its properties are outstanding compared to many other bamboo species as well as grasses and woody biomass for bioenergy applications. Bamboo can mature within 1 year, and its chemical composition changed slightly after the growth during the first year. To understand the effect of the maturation process on fuel properties, biomass materials of P. amabilis ranging from 0.5 m bamboo shoot to 1-year-old bamboo culm were investigated for chemical composition, crystallinity index (CrI), element contents (i.e., C, H, N, S, and O), heating values, and thermogravimetric characteristics. Except for the H content, which did not show an apparent changing trend, and the lignin content, which had a relatively stable increasing rate, the other tested properties changed significantly during the maturation process of the bamboo and rapidly before the age stage of high growth accomplishment of the bamboo. The CrI showed the same changing pattern with the cellulose content. In comparison to some grass and woody biomass materials, C and H contents of 1-year-old mature bamboo were higher, whereas N, S, and O contents were lower, which are advantageous for bioenergy utilization. The higher heating value of 1-year-old bamboo was more than 19 MJ/kg, even higher than some of the woody biomass feedstocks. The results from this study ensure that 1 year growth is enough for the Tonkin Cane to obtain a good quality biomass for biofuel production.

Internode morphometrics and allometry of Tonkin Cane Pseudosasa amabilis

“…P. aureosulcata and P. amabilis are both small bamboo species, with a similar shooting period around April and May in southern China, characterized by elevated temperatures and low rainfall. Because the height growth is much faster than the lignification rate during the early period of bamboo shooting (Cheng, Adhikari, Wang, & Ding, ), stronger culm structures are needed to support growth and prevent bending. As P. amabilis is physically stronger than P. aureosulcata , the “Z” shaped bending in P. aureosulcata could have been replaced by this inconspicuous local mode in the diameter.…”

Characterization of bamboo species at different ages and bio-oil production

“…Its fuel properties variation during the growth was studied by the authors [24]. The other species, Pleioblastus chino [25], was introduced into China from Japan and adapted well to the local soil and climatic environment in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.…”

“…a,b Contents of ash, extractives, cellulose, hemicellulose and Klason lignin of Pseudosasa amabilis were quoted from the previous publication[24]. b Means with the same letter for a particular item are not significantly different at alpha = 0.05. c Obtained by calculation.…”

El bambú Tonkin (Pseudosasa amabilis) como material a explorar en el Ecodiseño. El diseño de un puesto de mercado como caso de estudio

“…En estos 5 trabajos previos (Tabla 1) se recoge información específica sobre el bambú Tonkin, pudiéndose clasificar según las características de la caña y usos. Atendiendo a sus características, en uno de los estudios se comprobó que la capacidad calorífica de la caña aumenta en proporción con su madurez, obteniendo valores más altos que algunas maderas leñosas (Cheng et al 2015). Por otro lado, Cheng et al (2017) estudiaron la morfología y alometría del bambú Tonkin, recopilando sus valores característicos en función de diferentes parámetros.…”

“…El bambú Tonkin (Pseudosasa amabilis) predomina de forma natural en la zona sur de China (Cheng et al 2017). Esta especie presenta un alto rendimiento como biocombustible con un poder calorífico de 19 MJ/ kg, superior incluso a algunas de las maderas leñosas, pudiéndose alcanzar en 1 año de maduración de la caña (Cheng et al 2015). Desde el punto de vista estructural, un grupo de investigación de Croacia determinó experimentalmente algunas propiedades mecánicas en 5 cañas, para la fabricación de bicicletas de bambú (Penava et al 2016, Jakovljević et al 2017.…”