1 Development of oil drum kiln for production of bamboo vinegar S. K. Jain, P.P. Chavan Department of Farm Structures, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dapoli ABSTRACT A 200 liter oil drum was developed and fabricated for production of bamboo vinegar. Bamboos were cut in 15 cm length and further split vertically. The average moisture content of air dried bamboo splits was found to be 22.77 per cent. The bamboo splits were carbonized in oil drum kiln and smoke was condensed to collect bamboo vinegar. It was observed that from 16 bamboos, the output of bamboo vinegar 2.24 liter and bamboo charcoal 22.3 kg was obtained. The average bulk density of bamboo charcoal was found to be 181.23 kg/m 3 . The ash content of bamboo charcoal and raw bamboo were found to be 4.28 per cent and 7.88 per cent respectively. Keywords: bamboo vinegar, bamboo charcoal, oil drum kiln, moisture content INTRODUCTION Bamboo plants are identified as species of subfamily Bambusoideae, family Gramineae. They are distributed in many parts of the world. The bamboo grows most abundantly in the orient where it is native to China, Burma, India, Japan, Europe and Canada. India has annual bamboo production as 4.5 million tonnes. In Maharashtra bamboo production is 2,47,239 tonnes. The Konkan region contributes 70,000 tonnes of bamboo production (Choudhary 2008). It has been reported that about 50 genera and 700 species of bamboo are found all over world. Asia alone accounts for 400 species. In India about 136 species in 30 genera occur in India (Suri and Chauhan, 1984). In Konkan region of Maharashtra Dendrocalamus strictus (Manvel), Bambusa bambus (Kalak), Dendrocalamus stocksii (Mes) and Dendrocalamus ritchy (Manga) varieties of bamboo are found abundantly. When bamboo is heated at very high temperature in an airless vessel, it becomes charcoal, which is used like other charcoal products, as a fuel component, a deodorizer, or an absorbent. The vapor that comes off the heated bamboo can be condensed to produce a liquid known as bamboo vinegar. It gets this name from the high content of acetic acid, though this ingredient is accompanied by many other compounds, especially phenols, such as guaiacol and cresol. Bamboo vinegar contains 80 per cent water. When it is dehydrated the vinegar consists of about 80-200 components, that are 32 per cent organic acid, 40 per cent phenolic compound, 3 per cent aldehyde, 5 per cent alkone compound, 5per cent alcohol compound, 4 per cent ester compound, and 5 per cent others. Bamboo vinegar is a product of bamboo carbonization. Bamboo vinegar is used as soil fungicide, plant root growth promoter and for eliminating offensive odour on dairy barns, poultry housing, sheep and goat housing etc. Bamboo vinegar is used for treatment of bamboo based product due to its fungi resistance properties. Bamboo vinegar is useful to restrain the molds and it can decrease microbiological deterioration of bamboo materials. It used to reduce toxicity of agricultural chemicals. It is also used in cosmetics, healthy drinks, medicines and health care etc. Bamboo vinegar has been produced in Japan for many years and is used medicinally to treat eczema, atopic dermatitis, and other skin diseases; it is most commonly applied by adding to bath water. It has recently been popularized as a main ingredient in "sap sheets" applied to the feet to "draw out toxins”. Professor, Department of Farm Structures, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dapoli-415 712, Dist.: Ratnagiri, Maharashtra Email: jsandeep1967@gmail.com Mobile: 08446592040