Characterization of Banana Peels Wastes as Potential Slow Pyrolysis Feedstock

Abstract

Uganda is the world’s second largest producer and consumer of banana after India. This has resulted into vast quantities of banana wastes, including the leaves, pseudostem, stalks, rejected and rotten fruits and the fruit peels. This study focuses on the characterization of banana peels to yield banana peels vinegar (BPV), tar and biochar as value added products that can be useful to farmers. Dried banana peels were characterized via proximate, ultimate, lignocellulosic, thermogravimetric (TG), and calorific value analyses. The obtained results showed that the volatile matter and fixed carbon contents were 88.02% and 2.70% while carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were 35.65%, 1.94% and 20.75 ppm respectively. The hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents were 41.38%, 9.90% and 8.90% while the higher and lower heating values were 16.15 MJ/kg and 14.80 MJ/kg. The maximum devolatilization rate in the banana peel biomass occurred in the temperatures range of 450–550oC which was taken as the slow pyrolysis regime temperature. The high levels of fixed carbon, volatile matter and ash contents were strong indicators that banana wastes are adequate feedstock for pyrolysis work to yield bio-infrastructure products. Similarly, the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose fractions had significant correlation between the biomass heating values and the eventual chemical compounds present BPV and biochar. The characterization properties of the banana peels are akin to the leaves and pseudostem and thus are suitable for pyrolysis process.

Thermodynamic modelling and temperature sensitivity analysis of banana (Musa spp.) waste pyrolysis

“…The information of the proximate, ultimate and chemical analyses of banana (Musa spp.) waste in Table 1 was determined by Kabenge et al [18]. The proximate analysis presented was, however, re-calculated in a previous paper (with adequate justifications) to make it suitable for ASPEN simulation [32].…”

“…These residues have been used for a variety of non-energy applications which includes the extraction of useful bio-products [4,5], in polymer composites [6,7], in textiles [8], for preparing adsorbents and ion-exchangers [9,10] and a host of others [11,12]. Banana wastes possess a huge energy potential as have been revealed from proximate, elemental, chemical and thermogravimetric analyses [1,3,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. This informs that it would be a very good feedstock for thermochemical processes.…”

Air Gasification of Banana (Musa spp.) Residues to Produce Biofuels

“…Much detail about the technique is also available in open literature [7,22]. Table 1 were presented by Kabenge, Omulo, Banadda, Seay, Zziwa and Kiggundu [23]. The proximate analysis presented was however re-calculated in our previous paper (with adequate justi cations) to be suitable for ASPEN simulations [2].…”

Activated Carbon Obtained from Coffee and Orange Wastes

“…The use of organic waste is an excellent strategy to transform material that is considered garbage. Some studies, such as the one conducted by Kabenge et al (2018) show that banana peels can be reused by subjecting them to a high-temperature treatment, obtaining vinegar from this raw material. Other group performed a chemical characterization of the pyrolysis (carbonization) of banana peels Using different treatments with the aim of evaluating the use of waste as biomass, they generate energy from products obtained by combustion, generating a considerable caloric value to generate energy through it (Ribas, Fernandes, Marangoni, Souza & Sellin, 2013).…”