Characterization and property evaluation of low-cost electrically conductive bamboo charcoal from Dendrocalamus sericeus Munro.

Abstract

Bamboo (Dendrocalamus sericeus Munro) is fast-growth plant with abundant biomass for conversion to fuel and various uses, including insulation and electronic applications. Bamboo charcoal produced in a low-cost  furnace was separated into bamboo coal with electrical conductivity (bamboo coal 1) and without electrical conductivity (bamboo coal 2), subjected to proximate analysis and evaluation of adsorption and fuel properties. In addition, structural properties were studied based on surface area analysis using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) methods, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Xray diffraction (XRD). Of the two bamboo coal types, bamboo coal 1 with electrical conductivity had better adsorptive properties, such as a greater iodine number value (240 mg g-1), while the BET and the BJH methods  showed that the surface area was 36.653 m² g-1 with a pore volume of 0.052 cm³g^-1and a pore size of 15.292 Å. In addition, it was better for use as a deodorant and as a solid fuel for cooking with a longer total burning time (81 min). Bamboo coal 2 had lower moisture (5.75%), and ash (6.56%) contents, with a higher heating value (6913 kcal kg^-1), indicating that bamboo coal 2 was good for deodorant usage and could have potential for development as an insulator with a hydrophobic and fire-retardant 
coating material. Bamboo coal 1 had a graphite crystalline structure and could have potential with additional further  graphene development for electronic uses.