Compositional changes in sugarcane bagasse on low temperature, long-term diluted ammonia treatment

Area of Science:

• Biomass Pretreatment
• Renewable Energy Feedstocks
• Agricultural By-products

Background:

• Sugarcane bagasse is a major lignocellulosic byproduct of the sugar industry.
• Its high cellulose and hemicellulose content makes it a valuable resource for biofuels and chemicals.
• Efficient pretreatment is crucial for unlocking the potential of sugarcane bagasse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a simple and economical dilute ammonia pretreatment method for sugarcane bagasse storage.
• To evaluate the impact of ammonium hydroxide concentration on biomass composition over time.
• To assess the feasibility of this method for preparing bagasse for further processing.

Main Methods:

• Sugarcane bagasse was stored in 0%, 0.03%, and 0.3% (w/w) ammonium hydroxide solutions.
• Storage occurred in closed bottles at 30°C for 40 days without agitation.
• Samples were analyzed every 10 days for lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, ammonia, and microbial content.

Main Results:

• Storage at 0.3% ammonium hydroxide for 40 days resulted in 46% lignin removal.
• This condition effectively preserved cellulose (100% retention) and hemicellulose (73% retention).
• Lower concentrations of ammonium hydroxide showed less significant lignin removal.

Conclusions:

• Dilute ammonia pretreatment is a viable and economical method for sugarcane bagasse storage.
• This process facilitates lignin removal while maintaining valuable cellulose and hemicellulose content.
• The optimized pretreatment enhances bagasse suitability for biofuel and biochemical applications.