Effect of Steam Explosion Technology Main Parameters on Moso Bamboo and Poplar Fiber
Biqing Shu, Qin Ren, H. Lu, Zhongping Xiao, Xiaoning Lu, Wenya Wang, Junbao Yu, Naiqiang Fu, Yiming Gu, Jinjun Zheng
Abstract
One of the large-scale industrial applications of Moso bamboo and poplar in China is the production of standardized fiberboard. When making fiberboard, a steam blasting pretreatment without the addition of traditional adhesives has become increasingly popular because of its environmental friendliness and wide applicability. In this study, the steam explosion pretreatment of Moso bamboo and poplar was conducted. The steam explosion pressure and holding time were varied to determine the influence of these factors on fiber quality by investigating the morphology of the fiber, the mass ratio of the unexploded specimen at the end face, the chemical composition, and the tensile strength. The following conclusions were drawn: as the steam burst pressure and holding time increased, more cellulose and hemicellulose degradation occurred (the degradation of hemicellulose was greater than that of cellulose), the lignin content rose, and the fiber bundle strength decreased. The degradation of bamboo cellulose was slightly higher than that of poplar, and the degradation of poplar hemicellulose was significantly faster than that of bamboo. Furthermore, increasing the steam explosion pressure and pressure holding time could not effectively increase the lignin content. It is recommended to use a steam blasting pressure of 2.5 MPa or 3.0 MPa and a holding time of 180 s to perform steam blasting on bamboo and poplar specimens.