Characterization of teff straw from selected teff varieties from Ethiopia

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Materials Science
• Biomass Energy

Background:

• Biomass utilization is crucial for economic and environmental sustainability.
• Characterizing biomass composition is essential for industrial applications and pollution reduction.
• Teff (Eragrostis tef) straw is an underutilized agricultural residue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the proximate and chemical composition of four Teff straw varieties.
• To investigate the thermographic and FTIR properties of Teff straw and its ash.
• To assess the potential of Teff straw for silica production.

Main Methods:

• Proximate analysis of Teff straw varieties (Dagim, Filagot, Kora, Kuncho).
• Chemical analysis, including silica content determination.
• Thermographic analysis and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Volatile matter content ranged from 77.00% to 80.60%.
• Ash content varied between 6.00% and 6.34%.
• Silica content in Teff straw ranged from 4.70% to 5.92%, with ash silica content between 77.19% and 92.21%.

Conclusions:

• Teff straw exhibits proximate and chemical compositions with slight variations among varieties.
• The silica content in Teff straw is comparable to that of rice husk and wheat straw.
• Teff straw is a promising source for industrial silica production.