Prediction of Low Heating Value of Sugar Cane Bagasse as a Fuel for Industrial Boilers in the High Relative Humidity Region: Case of Cameroon

Many attempts have been made to estimate calorific value of bagasse using mathematical equations, which were created based on data from proximate, ultimate, physical and chemical analysis. Questions have been raised on the applicability of these equations in different parts of the globe. This study was initiated to tackle these problems and also check the most suited mathematical models for the Law Heating Value of Cameroonian bagasse. Data and bagasse samples were collected at the Cameroonian sugarcane factory. The effects of cane variety, age of harvesting, source, moisture content, and sucrose on the LHV of Cameroon bagasse have been tested. It was shown that humidity does not change within a variety, but changes from the dry season to the rainy season;the sugar in the rainy season is significantly different from that collected in the dry season. Samples of the same variety have identical LHV. LHV in the dry season is significantly different from LHV in the rainy season. According to the fact that this study was done for cane with different ages of harvesting, the maturity of Cameroonian sugarcane does not affect LHV of bagasse. Tree selected models are much superior tool for the prediction of the LHV for bagasse in Cameroon compared to others. The standard deviation of these validated models is around 200 kJ/kg compared to the experimental. Thus, the models determined in foreign countries, are not necessarily applicable in predicting the LHV of bagasse in other countries with the same accuracy as that in their native country. There was linear relationship between humidity, ash and sugar content in the bagasse. It is possible to build models based on data from physical composition of bagasse using regression analysis.

Effectiveness of Rice Husk and Sugarcane Bagasse Ashes Blended Cement in Improving Properties of Concrete

This paper emphasized the use of rice husk ash (RHA) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) in improving concrete properties, and also their combined effects on workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, permeability and water absorption capacity. Thus, in this study, the water-to-cement ratio was kept constant (0.45), the binder materials content for conventional mix was kept constant at (350 kg/m3) and the partial replacement of cement with RHASBA used was 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% by weight of cement. The maximum compressive strength was noted at a 5% replacement level of cement with RHASBA. The Results showed that the optimum replacement of cement with RHASBA in concrete was 5%, which was found to increase the compressive strength by 15%, flexural strength by 3.4%, lowered permeability by 50%, lowered sorptivity by 11.34% as compared with control concrete at 90 days of curing time. The micro-structural test results further established that RHA and SBA have a high content of SiO2 which enables them to be more reactive in concrete and also revealed that the presence of RHASBA depletes Ca(OH)2 crystals, converting it into CaH2O4Si (C-S-H gel) leading to the strengthening of bond within the concrete matrix.

Expansive Soil Stabilization by Bagasse Ash in Partial Replacement of Cement

This study examined the effects of using bagasse ash in replacement of ordinary Portland cement(OPC)in the treatment of expansive soils.The study concentrated on the compaction characteristics,volume change,compressive strength,splitting tensile strength,microstructure,California bearing ratio(CBR)value,and shear wave velocity of expansive soils treated with cement.Different bagasse ash replacement ratios were used to create soil samples.At varying curing times of 7,14,and 28 days,standard compaction tests,unconfined compressive strength tests,CBR tests,Brazilian split tensile testing,and bender element(BE)tests were carried out.According to X-ray diffraction(XRD)investigations,quartz and crystobalite make up the majority of the minerals in bagasse ash.Bagasse ash contains a variety of grain sizes,including numerous fiber-shaped particles,according to a scanning electronic microscope(SEM)test.For all of the treated specimens with various replacement ratios,the overall additive content has not changed.The results of the Brazilian split tensile tests demonstrate improved tensile strength for all specimens with various replacement proportions.A lower maximum dry density and a greater optimal water content would result from the substitution of bagasse ash.When the replacement ratio is not more than 20%,the CBR values of the parts replaced specimens are even higher than the cement treatments.The results of BE testing on the treated soils show that there is significant stiffness anisotropy but that it steadily diminishes with curing time and replacement ratio.According to the study,bagasse ash is a useful mineral additive,and the best replacement ratio(CBA20)is 20%.

Effectiveness of Rice Husk and Sugarcane Bagasse Ashes Blended Cement in Improving Properties of Concrete

This paper emphasized the use of rice husk ash (RHA) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) in improving concrete properties, and also their combined effects on workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, permeability and water absorption capacity. Thus, in this study, the water-to-cement ratio was kept constant (0.45), the binder materials content for conventional mix was kept constant at (350 kg/m3) and the partial replacement of cement with RHASBA used was 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% by weight of cement. The maximum compressive strength was noted at a 5% replacement level of cement with RHASBA. The Results showed that the optimum replacement of cement with RHASBA in concrete was 5%, which was found to increase the compressive strength by 15%, flexural strength by 3.4%, lowered permeability by 50%, lowered sorptivity by 11.34% as compared with control concrete at 90 days of curing time. The micro-structural test results further established that RHA and SBA have a high content of SiO2 which enables them to be more reactive in concrete and also revealed that the presence of RHASBA depletes Ca(OH)2 crystals, converting it into CaH2O4Si (C-S-H gel) leading to the strengthening of bond within the concrete matrix.

Response surface optimization of process parameters for reduction roasting of low-grade pyrolusite by bagasse

The reduction roasting processes for low-grade pyrolusite using bagasse as the reducing agent was statistically analyzed. The central composite rotatable design （CCD） was used to optimize this reduction roasting processes. The three process parameters studied were the mass ratio of bagasse to ore, the roasting temperature and the roasting time. Analysis of variance （ANOVA） was used to analyze the experimental results. The interactions between the process parameters were done by using the linear and quadratic model. The results revealed that the linear and quadratic effects as well as the interaction are statistically significant for the mass ratio and roasting temperature but insignificant for the roasting time. The optimal conditions of 0.9：10 of mass ratio, the roasting temperature of 450 ~C, the roasting time of 30 min were obtained. Under these conditions, the predicted leaching recovery rate for manganese was 98.1%. And the satisfied experimental result of 98.2% confirmed the validity of the model.

Screening of Starch-degrading Strains in Bagasse and Identification of Strains s2g5-1 and s3g4-8

[Objective]The study aimed to screen the starch-degrading bacterium in bagasse and carry on the identification of strains s2g5-1 and s3g4-8.[Method]By using a variety of selective media,varieties of starch degrading bacterium were isolated from the sugar cane bagasse form different stages of natural fermentation,then,primary screening and secondary screening were performed.[Result] Starch-degrading strains s2g5-1 and s3g4-8 were screened,and they were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens according to their morphological,physiological,biochemical and molecular characteristics.[Conclusion]The research provided theoretical basis for factory application of bagasse.

Production of aryl oxygen-containing compounds from catalytic pyrolysis of bagasse lignin over LaTixFe1xO3

A new approach,named production of aryl oxygen-containing compounds from the catalytic pyrolysis of bagasse lignin(BL) over perovskite oxide,was proposed,A series of LaTixFe1-xO3(LTF-x) samples were prepared by the solid state reaction method.The crystal phase and morphology of LTF-x were characterized by XRD and SEM respectively.Catalytic pyrolysis performance of LTF-x was performed by TG-DTG and the distribution patterns of gaseous,liquid and solid products from BL was investigated using a fixed-bed micro-reactor.The optimal reaction conditions were determined:the pyrolysis temperature was 600℃,the mass ratio of mBL:mLTF-0.2 was 3:1,the veloeity of earrier gas was 100 ml·min-1.The gaseous produets were mainly eomposed of CO2,CO,CH4 and CnHm(n=2-4,m=2 n+2 or m=2 n),The main aryl oxygen-containing compounds in liquid products were phenolics,guaiacols,syringols and phenylates,the rest were benzenes,furans,esters and carboxylic acid.The total contents of aryl oxygencontaining compounds were from 62% up to more than 72% under the action of the perovskite.Moreover,the LTF-0.2 sample had nice regenerability.

Effects of exogenous enzymes, Lactobacillus acidophilus or their combination on feed performance response and carcass characteristics of rabbits fed sugarcane bagasse

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus（LAC）, exogenous enzymes of ZAD（exogenous enzyme preparation） or their combination on feed conversion, and dressing of rabbits fed different treatments of sugarcane bagasse（SCB）. Five rations were allotted randomly to five groups of New-Zealand White（NZW） rabbits（n=10） with initial live body weight of（838±42.4） g and 5 weeks of age. Rabbits were fed on diets with different sources of fiber as follows,（i） a control diet composed of 100% berseem hay and 0% SCB,（ii） 50% berseem hay and 50% untreated SCB（USCB）,（iii） 50% berseem hay and 50% SCB treated with L. acidophilus（LAC）,（iv） 50% berseem hay and 50% SCB treated with ZAD（ZAD）, and（v） 50% berseem hay and 50% SCB treated with a combination of LAC＋ZAD（LZ）. Treatments of SCB with L. acidophilus, ZAD and LAC＋ZAD had the highest feed conversion ratio than both USCB and control. The dressing percentage of rabbits that fed the LAC and LZ diets was higher（P〈0.05） compared with that in the other groups. Performance index（PI） for LAC group was improved（P〈0.05） compared to that for the other groups; however, PI for USCB group was the lowest（P〈0.05）. It could be concluded that treating SCB with L. acidophilus, exogenous enzymes of ZAD or their combination improved feed conversion and performance with more positive effects with L. acidophilus than the other treatments.

Production of hydrogen and syngas via pyrolysis of bagasse in a dual bed reactor

Pyrolysis of bagasse followed by thermal cracking of tar was carded out at atmospheric pressure using a dual bed reactor. The first bed was used for the pyrolysis and the second bed was used for thermal cracking of tar. Iron fillings were used as the packed bed material in the second bed. The effects of reaction time （20 to 40 rain）, reactor temperature （600 to 900 ℃） and packed bed height （40-100 mm） on the product （char, tar and gas） yield and gas （H2, CO, CO2, CH4, CnHm） composition were studied. Over the ranges of the experimental conditions used, the operating conditions were optimized for pyrolysis temperature around 850 ℃, a reaction time of 30 min and packed bed height of 100 mm, thus we could obtain a gas richer in hydrogen and carbon monoxide and poorer in carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons. It was observed that compared with single bed process, dual bed process increased the gas yield from 0.397 to 0.750 m3/kg and decreased the tar yield from 0.445 to 0.268 g/g while the heating value of the product gas remained almost constant （10-11 M J/m3）.

Mechanical Properties and Wettability of Bagasse-reinforced Composite

Bagasse fibers were modified using NaOH, KH550, and NaOH/KH550, respectively, and used as reinforcement to prepare bagasse/starch/PVA composite. A combination of Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction(XRD) was used to investigate the chemical composition. The surface of bagasse fibers and cross-sectional morphologies for bagasse/starch/PVA composite were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Contact angles were measured to test the wettability of the resulting composite. After the chemical treatment with NaOH/KH550, the mechanical properties of the composite can be greatly improved. The contact angle is larger, indicating the variation of surface property from hydrophilicity into hydrophobicity.

Efficient metallization of magnetite concentrate by reduction with agave bagasse as a source of reducing agents

The reduction behavior and metallization degree of magnetite concentrate with agave bagasse were investigated in an inert atmosphere.The effects of temperature,biomass content,and residence time on reduction experiments and metallization degree were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.Compared with other types of biomass,agave bagasse had lower contents of nitrogen,sulfur,and ash.X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the metallization degree improved with increasing temperature and biomass content.Complete metallization was achieved at 1100℃ for 30 min with 65:35 and 50:50 ratios of the magnetite concentrate to the agave bagasse.These results demonstrate that agave bagasse promotes the efficient metallization of magnetite concentrate without the external addition of a reducing agent.Therefore,this biomass is a technical suitable alternative to replace fossil fuels in steelmaking.

Chemical structures and thermochemical properties of bagasse lignin

The chemical structures of bagasse EMAL （enzymatic hydrolysis/mild acidolysis lignin） were revealed quantitatively with ^31p-NMR, DFRC （derivatization followed by reductive cleavage）. The thermochemical characteristics of bagasse and bagasse EMAL were evaluated with thermogravimetry. The results show that bagasse EMAL is mainly formed by the phenolic hydroxyl group of guaiacyl and syringyl units. The DBDO content in bagasse EMAL was found to be 0.180 mmol.g^-1. The decomposition characteristics of bagasse EMAL under elevated temperature were much different from that of bagasse.

Removal of β-Naphthalenesulfonic Acid from Aqueous Dilute Solution Using Bagasse Fly Ash

Bagasse fly ash was converted into an inexpensive adsorbent andutilized for the removal of β- naphthalenesulfonic acid in dilutesolution. The effect of pH, temperature, adsorbent concentration, andco-existed acids on the removal of β-naphthalenesulfonic acid wasexamined. The adsorption data have been correlated with both Langmuirand Freundlich adsorption models. Thermodynamic parameters obtainedindicate the feasibility of the process, and kinetic studies providedthe necessary mechanistic information of the removal process.

Influence of Sugarcane Bagasse Fiber Size on Biodegradable Composites of Thermoplastic Starch

Although thermoplastic starch(TPS)is biodegradable,its low mechanical resistance limits its wide application.Sugarcane bagasse(SB)fibers can be used as reinforcement in TPS matrix composites,but the influence of fiber size on the properties of the composite is still unknown.In this study,TPS composites reinforced with SB short fibers of four sizes were processed and characterized in order to analyze the influence of fiber size on the mechanical properties of the TPS/SB composite.It was observed that the interaction between fiber and matrix was good and optimized when the fibers are sifted in sieves between 30 and 50 mesh,obtaining fibers with average length of 1569±640μm and average diameter of 646±166μm.For these composites,increases of more than 660%in the modulus and more than 100%in the maximum tension were verified when compared to the pure TPS.

Slow Pyrolysis of Sugarcane Bagasse for the Production of Char and the Potential of Its By-Product for Wood Protection

Sugarcane bagasse was pyrolyzed using a laboratory fixed bed reactor to produce char and its by-product(pyrolysis liquid).The pyrolysis experiments were carried out using different temperatures(400℃ and 500℃),heating rate(1℃/min and 10℃/min),and holding time(30 min and 60 min).Char was characterized according to its thermal properties,while the pyrolysis liquid was tested for its anti-fungal and anti-termite activities.Pyrolysis temperature and heating rate had a significant influence on the char properties and the yield of char and pyrolysis liquid,where a high-quality char and high yield of pyrolysis liquid can be obtained at a temperature of 500℃ and a heating rate of 10℃/min.The yield of char and pyrolysis liquid was 28.97%and 55.46%,respectively.The principal compounds of pyrolysis liquid were water,acetic acid,glycolaldehyde,1-hydroxy-2-propanone,methanol,formic acid,levoglucosan,furfural,followed by some phenol compounds and guaiacol derivatives.Pyrolysis liquid at a concentration of 0.20%and 0.25%(v/v)caused a 100%inhibition of Coniophora puteana and Trametes versicolor,respectively,when performing inhibition growth tests in Petri dishes.Filter paper treated with 10%of pyrolysis liquid caused 100%of termite mortality,while only 5.65%–7.03%of the treated filter papers consumed by termites at such concentration.Pyrolysis liquid is potentially effective to be used in the formulation of wood protection against fungi and termites.

Short-Time Preparation of NaOH-Activated Carbon from Sugar Cane Bagasse Using Microwave Plasma Heating

The microwave induced argon plasma was applied to the preparation of NaOH-activated carbon from sugar cane bagasse. The distinguished feature of the heating technique with this cold plasma is the short operation time. The carbonization and the activation process were finalized in one step within 3 min. The prepared activated carbon with NaOH ratio 3 to bagasse characterized using N2 adsorption of type IV (IUPAC classification) to give specific surface area of 1980 m2/g and mesopore volume of 0.73 ml/g. It also showed a higher specific capacitance of 201 F/g in 1 M H2SO4 solution (with standard three electrodes) than the corresponding one by the conventional heating, previously reported. The other features were the absence of oxygen groups and the presence of carbon centered stable radicals, detected by ESR spectra, on the surface.

Application of experimental design in optimization of crude oil adsorption from saline waste water using raw bagasse

Experimental design was applied in the optimization of crude oil adsorption from saline waste water using raw bagasse.The application of response surface methodology(RSM) was presented with temperature,salinity of water,pH,adsorbent dose,and initial oil content as factors.A quadratic model could be used to approximate the mathematical relationship of crude oil removal on the five significant independent variables.Predicted values and experimental values are found to be in good agreement with R2 of 97.44%.The result of optimization shows that the maximum crude oil removal is equal to 67.38% under the optimal condition of temperature of 46.53 °C,salinity of 37.2 g/L,pH of 3,adsorbent dose of 9 g/L and initial oil content of 300×10-6.

The Effect of Silane Treated Sugar Cane Bagasse on Mechanical, Thermal and Crystallization Studies of Recycled Polypropylene

This article describes the results of an investigation on the influence of loading silane treated sugar cane bagasse (SB) on the morphology and properties of recycled polypropylene (rPP). The samples are prepared through melt extrusion followed by injection moulding. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that SB-rPP composites have a fairly strong interfacial interaction and a change in crystallization for the highest containing SB composite, however, some fibre pull-outs are observed as the SB content is increased. The interaction influences the thermal and mechanical properties of the samples in a complex way. There are strong indications of a stronger interfacial interaction on the highest containing SB composite, which is supposedly accountable for the increased crystallinity and melting temperature.

Cascade Enzymatic Hydrolysis Coupling with Ultrafine Grinding Pretreatment for Sugarcane Bagasse Saccharification

The biorefinery process for sugarcane bagasse saccharification generally requires signifcant accessibility of cellulose. We reported a novel method of cascade cellulase enzymatic hydrol- ysis coupling with ultrafine grinding pretreatment for sugarcane bagasse saccharification. Three enzymatic hydrolysis modes including single cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis, mixed cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis, and cascade cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis were compared. The changes on the functional group and surface morphology of bagasse during cascade cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis were also examined by FT-IR and SEM respectively. The results showed that cascade enzymatic hydrolysis was the most efficient way to enhance the sugarcane bagasse saccharification. More than 65% of reducing sugar yield with 90.1% of glucose selectivity was achieved at 50 ℃, pH=4.8 for 72 h （1200 r/min） with cellulase I of 7.5 FPU/g substrate and cellulase II of 5 FPU/g substrate.

Preparation of Novel Composite from Natural Rubber, Bagasse and Plaster

The sugar cane bagasse was treated with chemical treatment including sodium hydroxide and silane. The characterization of the modified bagasse was achieved with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, and scaning electron microscopy （SEM）. Results showed that the presence Si-CH3 group occurred on bagasse surface after chemical modification. In addition, the roughness of the modified bagasse was higher than that of unmodified bagasse due to chemical modification from sodium hydroxide. Two polymer composite types, namely （1） natural rubber NR/sugar cane bagasse and （2） NR/plaster via two-roll mill method, were prepared. The optimum cure （t90） and torque of the NR/plaster increased with increasing plaster loading in composite. In case of NR/bagasse, the tgo of this sample decreased as a function of sugar cane bagasse while torque of this sample increased with increasing sugar cane bagasse. The modulus of the resulting composite increased with increasing both plaster and sugar cane bagasse, but the tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite decreased as a function of both piaster and sugar cane bagasse in composite.