Q.1110:How much CO2 is stored in 1 Kg. of wood ?
How much CO2 is produced by burning 1 Kg. of wood? How much CO2 is stored in 1 Kg of Paper? How much CO2 is removed/absorbed by growing 1 Kg. dry wood?Ans.
CO2 molecule is made of one carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms. The atomic weight of carbon is 12 and that of oxygen is 16. The molecular weight of CO2 will be 44. This means 12 Kg of carbon on complete combustion will produce 44 Kg. of CO2 or 1 Kg of carbon on complete combustion will produce 3.67 Kg. of CO2.
Wood is heterogeneous and exact amount of carbon in 1 Kg of dry wood will vary depending on the species of wood, age of wood etc. It is reported that 1 Kg of wood contain about 450 to 500 gm of Carbon. This means 1 Kg of wood is holding about 1.65 to 1.80 Kg of CO2. This is how wood or forest act as carbon sink.
Similarly burning of 1 kg of wood will generate 1.65 to 1.80 Kg of CO2.
Considering paper has same percentage of carbon as wood, 1 Kg paper is storing 1.65 to 1.85 Kg of CO2.
As per New Zealand Wood
Wood is the only construction material which has absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere when produced, not emitted more During its production, one tonne of:
- concrete — has released 159 kilos of CO2 into the atmosphere
- steel — has released 1.24 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere
- aluminum — has released 9.3 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere
- wood, however, has absorbed a net 1.7 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, over and above the energy expended in growing, harvesting and processing.
The more timber you use in a house, the more CO2 you remove from the atmosphere
- It takes around 20 trees to build an average house frame
- A steel house frame has added 4.5 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere
- A wooden house frame has absorbed 9.5 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.
- Choosing timber options for an average house can take around 20 tonnes net of CO2 out of the atmosphere (saving the equivalent of 150 trips Auckland to Wellington, or 7.1 years of car use)
- Using alternative materials (concrete, steel, brick and aluminium) can add 24 tonnes net CO2 to the atmosphere (costing the equivalent of 180 trips Auckland to Wellington, or 8.6 years of car use)
Using wood is something we can all do to help the environment. By demanding and using more sustainably produced wood, we can ensure that more trees will be planted and more carbon dioxide will be absorbed from the atmosphere.
The result is a better world for ourselves, our families and future generations. It’s simple. Wood. Our most renewable raw material.
As per http://albertaforestproducts.ca/our-industry/environment/climate-change/