Bamboo: Technology Innovations Towards Value-Added Applications

Abstract

Bamboo is remarkably varied and adaptable with a wide range of anatomical, structural and chemical properties. All of the bamboo plant, from rhizome and root to culm and leaves is utilized-there are nearly two thousand recorded uses. Bamboo has gained considerable importance recently as a structural material. Bamboo is used to replace not only wood, but also plastics, steel, cement, and other materials in structural and product applications thanks to advances in processing technology and product innovation combined with scientific and engineering expertise. The sector, particularly in rural areas, has enormous potential for providing income and jobs. The National Mission on Bamboo Applications, launched by the Government of India under the 10th Five-Year Plan, is a major programme aimed at boosting the use of bamboo in value-added goods. Cross-cutting, splitting, knot removal, sliver making, strip making, and round stick making are all examples of primary bamboo processing that can be done in rural cluster zones. There is a lot of waste generated after the primary processing of bamboo. This waste can be effectively turned into goods with added value, such as activated carbon, charcoal etc. Gasification is being used to transform bamboo into a useable amount of energy. These gases can substitute diesel up to 70% of the time, hence meeting energy demands (Tripathi, 2008). The volatiles produced as a by-product of biomass gasification are a rich source of compounds. For rural energy demands, the conversion of bamboo waste into charcoal is also being investigated. Sandwich composite technology has been used to build build cost-effective Fibre Reinforced Plastics (FRP) doors and doorframes to replace wood. The low-cost technology has the potential to be used for commer-cial manufacturing, especially in rural areas. This review paper discusses in detail about the properties and application of bamboo as a substitute for wood, primary and secondary processing of bamboo and preservation of bamboo. The paper also brings out technology overview of the products and associ-ated business opportunities.