Bamboo charcoal
Bamboo charcoal is a charcoal made from bamboo . It is mainly produced in the People's Republic of China in an amount of around 800,000 tons per year. Bamboo charcoal is one of the most important sources of energy for cooking and heating in "many tropical and subtropical areas". The bamboo stalks themselves are not very suitable as fuel, because they cannot be stored well, burn too quickly and smoke a lot when burning.
Bamboo charcoal has been made in China for about 1000 years. Like charcoal, it is made from bamboo by pyrolysis : the bamboo stalks are heated with a controlled or, ultimately, no air supply; this releases all volatile ingredients such as water and smaller molecules; about 30 percent by weight of the raw material is bamboo charcoal. Bamboo stalks that have grown at least four years old and are largely lignified are suitable for charring. The bamboo charcoal made in China is exported as a raw product and also processed. By-products of bamboo charcoal, which are also created during production, are bamboo vinegar, bamboo gas and bamboo ash.
Several international projects and international programs such as the "International Network for Bamboo and Rattan" (Inbar) and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) promote the use of bamboo charcoal.
Literature / source
- Walter Liese , Stephan Silbermann: Bamboo charcoal - properties and use , in: Holz-Zentralblatt , number 30 (July 30, 2010) online (PDF; 2.3 MB).