Proximate Analysis of Lignocellulosic Forestry and Agro-Industrial Wastes

Abstract

The rapid depletion of fossil fuels, coupled with the greenhouse gases emitted upon their combustion, have resulted in the growing importance of biofuels as renewable sources of energy. Second-generation lignocellulosic biomass, particularly that stemming from agro-industrial and forestry wastes, can prove to be viable feedstock for the production of biofuels. However, limited knowledge on their intrinsic and extrinsic properties poses a barrier to their effective use as sources of energy. Often conversion processes (which can be either thermochemical or biochemical) are used that are not ideal for the sample. This paper aims to conduct a proximate analysis of the four types of biomass - sugarcane bagasse, rice husk, sawdust and woodchips - to evaluate their potential as feedstock. Based on these findings, their gross calorific values are determined. It has been found that rice husk has the highest gross calorific value, followed by sawdust, woodchips and sugarcane bagasse. While suggestions have been made on the ideal conversion and pretreatment method for each feedstock, it can be concluded that a proximate analysis must be considered in conjunction with ultimate analysis to achieve this aim.