Kinetic and Chemical Analysis of Pyrolysis in Bambusa vulgaris Leaves and Derived Fibers

Abstract

Bamboo, a perennial and monocarpic plant, holds immense potential beyond its commonly recognized applications. In this study, fiber was extracted from bamboo leaves. Pyrolytic kinetic studies were done on leaves and the extracted fibers, utilizing thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) data obtained at heating rates 10, 20, and 30 K/min within the temperature range of 298–1093 K. Model-free methods such as Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Friedman were employed to calculate the activation energy (E_a) and the pre-exponential factor (A). For leaves, the calculated E_a values were found to be 283 kJ/mol (KAS), 279 kJ/mol (OFW), and 318 kJ/mol (Friedman), while the A values were determined as 7.2 × 10⁴³ s⁻¹ (KAS), 1.07 × 10⁴³ s⁻¹ (OFW), and 5.7 × 10⁴⁵ s⁻¹ (Friedman). In the case of fiber, the E_a values were found to be 162 kJ/mol (KAS), 164 kJ/mol (OFW), and 165 kJ/mol (Friedman), with corresponding A of 4.6 × 10¹⁵ s⁻¹ (KAS), 5.6 × 10¹³ s⁻¹ (OFW), and 348 × 10¹³ s⁻¹ (Friedman). Additionally, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses were conducted on both leaves and fiber.