Non-Isothermal Devolatization of Industrial and Chewing Sugarcane Bagasses

Abstract

The devolatilization is the first step of thermochemical processes and requires an in-depth understanding. In this paper, the devolatilization of industrial and chewing sugarcane bagasses has been investigated using thermogravimentric analyser (TGA). The devolatilization of industrial sugarcane bagasse (ISB) and chewing sugarcane bagasse (CSB) were related to it lignocellulose content (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin). The component compounds of bagasse exhibit three major mass loss peaks which decompose independently. The first and second mass-loses were associated with hemicellulose and cellulose degradation and are responsible for the appearance of the first peak and second peak with the temperature range of 180–254 o C and 250–317◦C respectively. Lignin degradation was observed to occur at a much higher temperatures of 317-900 o C as denoted by the third peak. A comparative evaluation of the bagasse obtained from the two varieties of sugarcane shows that there was an overlaped of TG-CSB over TG-ISB during hemicellulose decomposition which later separated with the emergence of cellulose decomposition. The thermal stability of bagasse decomposition was observed to increase in the following order: hemicellulose < cellulose < lignin. The result of TGA indicated that CSB has higher thermal stability than the ISB. The difference in the lignocellulose fraction provides an explanation for these differences. The percentage of cellulose and lignin content in CSB is greater than that of ISB with lignin content constituting larger percentage of the difference. These experimental results help explain and predict the behaviour of bagasses in practical applications.