Bamboo and wood are natural polymers with strong carbon sequestration and sustainable cutting capabilities and are renewable natural biomass resources widely used in households, construction, light industry, energy production, and other fields [1, 2, 3]. Processed bamboo products include boards, crafting materials, and paper, whereas bamboo-based panels include mats, strips, shavings, fibers, crushed bamboo strips, and plates, depending on the monomer form of the raw material used [4]. Wood utilization has also gradually developed from original logs to sawn wood, veneer, wood shavings, fiber, and chemical components, forming a new family of wood materials, such as plywood, particle boards, fiberboards, veneer laminates, integrated wood, reconstituted wood, directional flower boards, recombined decorative veneers, and other reorganization materials [5]. Various bamboo- and wood-based panel (BWBP) are found in all aspects of daily life. The unique natural properties of bamboo and wood, such as carbon fixation, regeneration, natural degradability, beauty, and enhancement of the indoor environment, as well as processing and utilization characteristics, such as a high strength-to-weight ratio and low processing energy consumption, are likely to make significant contributions to the sustainable development of society by mitigating the depletion of non-renewable resources [6, 7].
As new types of environmentally friendly materials, bamboo and wood forest products are natural extensions of forest resource utilization, have good environmental protection characteristics, and can replace energy-intensive products such as steel, plastic, and cement, reducing carbon emissions [8]. During growth, most of the fixed carbon was retained in these products and remained within the product throughout its life cycle. [9, 10]. The main components of wood are cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and soluble extracts. It is estimated that the elemental composition of wood is 50% carbon, 43% oxygen, and 6% hydrogen, with more than 20 other trace elements accounting for the remaining 1%, indicating that half the weight of wood is composed of carbon [11]. Bamboo primarily comprises of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, sugar, fat, and proteins [12]. Compared to petrochemicals, glass, steel, and other non-renewable materials, bamboo and wood exhibit distinct advantages from raw material carbon sinks to the burning of leftover materials in the production process and the carbon stock of products in terms of carbon, which is an important field of low-carbon emission reduction in China [13].
Current research generally examines the concept of the carbon footprint, with at least 15 different programs such as the ISO, the World Resources Institute (WRI), ADEME in France, and PAS2050 (Code for Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions during the Life Cycle of Goods and Services) evaluating the carbon footprint of products. Of these, PAS2050 is the only confirmed standard with a concrete public calculation method and is also the most consulted standard against which the carbon footprint of products can be evaluated [14]. However, no evaluation method currently reflects the characteristics of bamboo and wood. After cutting, most of the carbon in bamboo and wood is transferred to the products made and stored within the products, reflecting the advantages of using bamboo and wood products in carbon storage [13, 15]. The carbon footprint cannot express the characteristics of bamboo and wood products, especially their unique advantages in terms of carbon stock. Several experts and scholars have researched the carbon content and stock of bamboo and wood; however, most research has been limited to studying logs, raw bamboo, or the carbon content and stock of different kinds or parts of trees or bamboo [16, 17, 18]. Few studies have investigated the carbon content and stock of bamboo and wood products. Carbon stock calculations have generally been regional macro-overall evaluations under the conceptual framework of storage changes, production, and atmospheric flow [19, 20]. Only some studies have examined the specific product source, which does not reflect the advantages of bamboo and wood products' carbon stock. Therefore, examining the carbon content and stock per unit volume of BWBP is of practical significance and application value to promote environmental protection and enhance the building materials industry.
To accurately quantify the carbon reserves of various BWBP, a dry-burning method was used to determine the carbon content of 43 typical BWBP. The results were used to calculate the carbon stock per unit volume by combining the respective water content and density. Thermogravimetry (TG) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the thermal stability and elements comprising the panels, and the factors influencing the carbon content of BWBP were explored to provide technical parameters and a theoretical reference for carbon sequestration and storage in BWBP products.