Effects of Acetic Acid Pretreatment and Pyrolysis Temperatures on Product Recovery from Fijian Sugarcane Bagasse

The utilization and storage of surplus waste bagasse in underdeveloped sugar mills is problematic due to limited space within the sugar factories and pollution from bagasse debris, thus, pyrolysis offers a possible solution for the clearance of factory bagasse wastes. In this study, Fijian sugarcane bagasse was subjected to pyrolysis, and the effects of combined acetic acid (CH3COOH) pretreatment and high temperature on the distribution of gaseous products were investigated. Bagasse wastes delivered from Fiji were pretreated with different concentrations of CH3COOH (1, 3, 6, and 9 mol L-1 (M)) to partially hydrolyze cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The pretreatment disrupted the bagasse cell structures and enhanced bagasse pyrolysis. The gas yield from untreated bagasse at 500 degrees C (117.7 mL g(-1)) significantly increased (350.4 mL g(-1)) with the combination of 1 M CH3COOH pretreatment and thermal cracking at 800 degrees C. This study will aid the recovery of energy or chemical feedstock from surplus Fijian bagasse, which cannot be otherwise used effectively. [GRAPHICS] .