Bamboo, a perennial woody grass belonging to Gramineae family and Bambuseae subfamily, is ubiquitous in many parts of the world. This biomass possesses high potential as a substitute for many lignocellulosic and non-lignocellulosic materials in various capacities of applications owing to its chemical composition as well as its physical properties. Its abundance, chemical composition and numerous applications are reviewed in this work. This chapter also examined some investigated chemical modifications through alkali hydrolysis, acid hydrolysis, coupling to enhance properties of bamboo fibre for specialised applications.
Part of the book: Bamboo
The use of trees for paper production has contributed to the problem of deforestation with radical negative impact on the environment thereby causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. An increase in the demand and consumption of paper has also induced depletion of woods resources for paper production, thus resulting in limited availability of the raw materials. This work examined the use of non-woody biomasses as alternative raw materials, which are accessible and convertible into pulp and paper of the same quality as those obtained from wood.
Part of the book: Pulp and Paper Processing