Sugarcane Industry Waste Recovery: A Case Study Using Thermochemical Conversion Technologies to Increase Sustainability

Abstract

The sugarcane industry has assumed an increasingly important role at a global level, with countries such as Brazil and India dominating the field. However, this causes environmental problems, since the industry produces large amounts of waste, such as sugarcane bagasse. This by-product, which is energetically partially recovered in sugar mills and in the pulp and paper industry, can make a significant contribution to the general use of biomass energy, if the usual disadvantages associated with products with low density and a high moisture content are overcome. From this perspective, thermochemical conversion technologies, especially torrefaction, are assumed to be capable of improving the fuel properties of this material, making it more appealing for potential export and use in far-off destinations. In this work, sugarcane samples were acquired, and the process of obtaining bagasse was simulated. Subsequently, the bagasse was dried and heat-treated at 200 and 300 °C to simulate the over-drying and torrefaction process. Afterward, product characterization was performed, including thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis, calorimetry, and energy densification. The results showed significant improvements in the energy content, from 18.17 to 33.36 MJ·kg−1 from dried bagasse to torrefied bagasse at 300 °C, showing that despite high mass loss, there is potential for a future value added chain for this waste form, since the increment in energy density could enhance its transportation and use in locations far off the production site.

Sugarcane Bagasse Saccharification by Enzymatic Hydrolysis Using Endocellulase and β-glucosidase Immobilized on Different Supports

“…Second-generation biofuels are produced from lignocellulosic biomass from agricultural and forestry residues, which are considered bountiful sources that neither compete with food requirements nor impact the food and feed markets [1]. Sugarcane bagasse is one of the most abundant and promising biomass sources in the world, obtained from the processing of sugarcane with an estimated global yield of 510.3 million tons per year [2].…”

Sugarcane Bagasse as the Source of Nanocrystalline Cellulose for Gelatin-Free Capsule Shell

“…The moisture content of all variations of NCC concentration was analyzed to determine the water content or humidity of the capsules [ 5 ], which is related to the resistance of the capsule shell to microbial activity, especially bacteria [ 30 ]. The moisture content required by the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) is <10% [ 14 ], but those recorded in this study ranged from 6.15% to 9.5% as indicated in Figure 7 which is lower than the 12.5–15% in commercial capsule shells.…”

“…Meanwhile, the ash from the uncontrolled burning of bagasse has been proven to be causing serious air pollution problems [ 2 ], thereby [ 3 ] making it necessary to find better environmentally friendly alternatives [ 4 ]. This led to the selection of sugarcane as the raw material to be used in producing nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) for gelatin-free capsule shell material due to its several advantages such as the 40–50% cellulose content [ 5 ] and availability in large quantities.…”

Analysis and availability of lignocellulosic wastes: Assessments for Indonesia and Peru

“…Despite being one of the main sources of residues in Peru, sugarcane production remains relatively low compared to top producers. Brazil is the largest sugarcane producer, reaching ∼768,678 × 10 3 MT of sugarcane per year in an area of ∼10.22 × 10 6 ha (Nunes et al., 2020), which is about 78 times the production of Peru. Likewise, the production of bananas in, for instance, India reached 30.8 × 10 6 MT in India, about 228 times higher than in Peru according to FAOSTAT.…”