Ratio Of Bagasse Research Articles

Lentinula edodes substrate formulation using multilayer perceptron-genetic algorithm: a critical production checkpoint.

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is one of the most widely grown and consumed mushroom species worldwide. They are a potential source of food and medicine because they are rich in nutrients and contain various minerals, vitamins, essential macro- and micronutrients, and bioactive compounds. The reuse of agricultural and industrial residues is crucial from an ecological and economic perspective. In this study, the running length (RL) of L. edodes cultured on 64 substrate compositions obtained from different ratios of bagasse (B), wheat bran (WB), and beech sawdust (BS) was recorded at intervals of 5 days after cultivation until the 40th day. Multilayer perceptron-genetic algorithm (MLP-GA), multiple linear regression, stepwise regression, principal component regression, ordinary least squares regression, and partial least squares regression were used to predict and optimize the RL and running rate (RR) of L. edodes. The statistical values showed higher prediction accuracies of the MLP-GA models (92% and 97%, respectively) compared with those of the regression models (52% and 71%, respectively) for RL and RR. The high degree of fit between the forecasted and actual values of the RL and RR of L. edodes confirmed the superior performance of the developed MLP-GA models. An optimization analysis on the established MLP-GA models showed that a substrate containing 15.1% B, 45.1% WB, and 10.16% BS and a running time of 28 days and 10 h could result in the maximum L. edodes RL (10.69 cm). Moreover, the highest RR of L. edodes (0.44 cm d-1) could be obtained by a substrate containing 30.7% B, 90.4% WB, and 0.0% BS. MLP-GA was observed to be an effective method for predicting and consequently selecting the best substrate composition for the maximal RL and RR of L. edodes.

Effective Use of Sugarcane-Bagasse-Derived KOH-Activated Biochar for Remediating Norfloxacin-Contaminated Water.

Bagasse-derived biochar (SCB750) was prepared at 750 °C using Chinese sugarcane bagasse as a carbon source and then modified with KOH for the removal of the antibiotic norfloxacin (NOR) from aqueous solutions. 3K-SCB750, prepared using a solid-to-liquid mass ratio of bagasse:KOH = 1:3, was found to have the best adsorption performance for NOR. Under the conditions of pH 5, 25 °C, 2.4 g L-1 adsorbent, and 300 mg L-1 NOR, its adsorption of NOR reached equilibrium (97.5% removal) after 60 min. The adsorption behaviours were in line with the quasi-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, respectively. The maximum theoretical adsorption capacity reached up to 157.4 mg·g-1 at 40 °C. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of NOR onto 3K-SCB750 was a spontaneous, endothermic, and physical process. In addition, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy were conducted to investigate the structural and adsorption properties of 3K-SCB750. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was also applied to understand the mechanism of adsorption of NOR onto 3K-SCB750. All of the results indicated that 3K-SCB750 had a large specific surface area of 1038.8 m2·g-1, an average pore size of 1.9 nm, and hierarchical structures with random pores and cracks for efficient removal of NOR. NOR adsorption mechanisms on 3K-SCB750 were related to the pore-filling effect and electrostatic attraction. Therefore, 3K-SCB750 biochar may be used as a promising adsorbent of antibiotics in wastewaters.

Preliminary Observation of Biogas Production from a Mixture of Cattle Manure and Bagasse Residue in Different Composition Variations

The need of renewable energy is paramount important as it is expected to replace fossil energy. One of renewable energy commonly used for rural area is biomass-based energy. Biogas is a biomass-based energy where organic materials are converted to methane gas via anaerobic digestion process. The limitations of mono-feedstock biogas are instability digestion process, low yield biogas produced and require readjusting C/N ratio, therefore co-digestion process was proposed to overcome these problems. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion of a mixture of cattle manure and bagasse residue in different weight ratio combinations. Biogas was generated by anaerobic digestion using a mixed substrate composed of a combination of weight ratios of bagasse:cattle manure (1:5, 1:2, 1:1, and 3:1). The kinetic analysis was evaluated by fitting Gompertz and Logistic model to experimental data of cumulative biogas. The result showed that the combination of 1:5 ratio of bagasse waste to cattle manure obtained the best biogas yield with cumulative biogas at 31,000 mL. The kinetic model of Gompertz and Logistic were able to predict the maximum cumulative biogas at ratio of 1:5 (cattle: bagasse) at 31,157.66 mL and 30,112.12 mL, respectively. The other predictions of kinetic parameters were maximum biogas production rate (Rm)= 1,720.45 mL/day and 1,652.31 mL/day for Gompertz and Logistic model, respectively. Lag periods were obtained at 2.403 day and 2.612 day for Gompertz and Logistic model, respectively. The potential power generation of 338.71 Watt has been estimated from biogas. This research has proven a positive feasibility of co-digestion of two feed-stocks (cattle manure and bagasse) for biogas production.

Exploring the hybrid route of bio-ethanol production via biomass co-gasification and syngas fermentation from wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse: Model development and multi-objective optimization

Biomass co-gasification and syngas fermentation is one of the least trotted paths in the Indian biofuel production scenario. The aim of the research here is to develop an equilibrium model of biomass co-gasification and syngas fermentation in Aspen plus. Two Indian lignocellulosic biomass namely wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse have been selected as feedstock for this co-gasification process followed by the syngas fermentation. The process shows promising results in terms of ethanol production and energy usage. The effects of gasification process parameters on overall process performance have been analysed. Empirical regression equations were constructed to account for the effects of biomass ratio, which is the ratio of the masses of wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse, gasification temperature and equivalence ratio over ethanol yield, lower heating value of syngas, cold gas efficiency, overall system efficiency, and CO2 emission using response surface methodology. Finally, a multi-objective optimization has been conducted to maximize the ethanol production and overall system efficiency, and to minimize the CO2 emission of the system. Results suggest that the wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse ratio of 4:1, 919.5oC temperature and 0.15 equivalence ratio is the optimum point with an ethanol production rate of 20.917 tonnes/hr, overall efficiency of 52.184%, and a minimum CO2emission of 32669.862 kg/h.

Use of wheat flour and sugarcane bagasse in the production of fiber-rich biscuit: Effects of sugarcane bagasse ratio on the product quality

Nowadays, sugarcane is used as main material to manufacture crystal sucrose and packaged sugarcane juice. The sucrose production generates sugarcane bagasse with sugarcane peel while the sugarcane juice production releases sugarcane bagasse without its peel. There have been many reports on the use of sugarcane bagasse with peel to produce various value-added products. Nevertheless, the application of sugarcane bagasse without peel to food processing has not been widely considered. In this study, the peeled bagasse from the sugarcane juice manufacturing process was employed as a dietary fiber source. The peeled bagasse was dried, ground, sifted and added to the biscuit formulation; the supplementation ratio was 0 (control), 5, 10, 15 and 20% (w/w) of the blend of wheat flour and sugarcane bagasse. Increase in sugarcane bagasse ratio reduced the protein content of the biscuit but improved its soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and ash contents. Use of sugarcane bagasse did not dramatically alter diameter and thickness of the biscuit but significantly increased its hardness and brightness. The biscuit samples with 5, 10 and 15% sugarcane bagasse powder were considered as high-fiber food products and had similar overall acceptability to the control sample. The peeled sugarcane bagasse powder can be a potential source of dietary fiber in the production of fiber-rich biscuits.

Ensilability and Nutritive Value of Sweet Sorghum and Sweet Pearl Millet Bagasse as Affected by Different Methods of Carbohydrate Extraction for Eventual Ethanol Production

HighlightsJuice extraction resulted in a decrease in the nutritive value of the bagasse as compared with the initial biomass.Silages made from the second pressing bagasse were well conserved.Sweet sorghum silage has a better nutritive value than sweet pearl millet.Abstract. Pressing the biomass of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet in-field is one of the suggested options for bioethanol production. The extracted juice can be delivered to an ethanol plant, and the bagasse (pressing residue) can be used for ruminant feeding. Efficient carbohydrate extraction is highly important for good ethanol yield. However, enough carbohydrates must remain in the bagasse for its adequate conservation as silage. In this study, the ensilability and the chemical composition of the second pressing bagasse of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet were investigated. The bagasse was obtained following a second pressing of the first pressing bagasse after its impregnation with water based on three water:bagasse ratios (0.5, 1, and 1.5). Results indicated that water:bagasse ratio did not affect water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) extraction for both crops. The second pressing bagasse of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet contained 80.5 ±4.6 and 60 ±4.6 g of WSC kg-1 dry matter (DM), respectively. The second pressing bagasse of both crops had reduced nutritive value compared to the initial biomass, i.e., higher neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentrations along with lower non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration, in vitro true digestibility of DM (IVTD), and in vitro NDF digestibility (NDFd). The second pressing bagasses of both crops also showed good ensilability, but sweet sorghum bagasse silages were of better nutritive value than sweet pearl millet bagasse silages (ADF = 446.2 ±3.7 vs. 463.2 ±3.7 g kg-1 DM, IVTD = 813.8 ±3.4 vs. 708.8 ±6.8 g kg-1 DM, and NDFd = 741.8 ±4.8 vs. 596.2 ±8.5 g kg-1 NDF, respectively). The water:bagasse ratio used for bagasse impregnation before the second pressing only affected the NDF concentration of silages, as a higher NDF concentration was obtained with a water:bagasse ratio of 1.5. Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet can be considered dual-purpose crops; the extracted juice can be fermented into ethanol, and the second pressing bagasse can be used to make good-quality silage. Keywords: Bagasse impregnation, Nutritive value, Silage, Sweet pearl millet, Sweet sorghum, Water-soluble carbohydrates.

Multi-objective optimization of a 1G-2G biorefinery: A tool towards economic and environmental viability

First-generation sugarcane ethanol production is a well-established technology. However, second-generation ethanol is not yet consolidated in industries. Under these circumstances, this work presents a multi-objective optimization of this process focusing on economic and environmental objectives. The impact of the Brazilian decarbonization program on an integrated biorefinery is analyzed, considering a first-generation ethanol conventional autonomous distillery and a second-generation process with hydrothermal pre-treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of the xylose liquor. The economic metric was the Net Present Value and the environmental assessment was based on the plant inventory considering Global Warming Potential. A multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm was used, considering the ratio of bagasse diverted to the second-generation process, enzyme loading and solid fraction in the hydrolysis reactor as optimization variables. The carbon credit price was estimated for each point in the Pareto set in order to make the process economically feasible. As the main conclusions, there is a trade-off between economic and environmental targets, indicating that carbon credits may be essential for second-generation ethanol economic feasibility. The optimized integrated biorefinery is able to increase ethanol production by approximately 24% compared to first-generation biorefineries, but an increase in ethanol production higher than 13% would make the process economically unfeasible, while the decarbonization credits are not being commercialized. A price of $ 15.77 for decarbonization credits would make it possible to produce 20% more ethanol, keeping the integrated biorefinery economically feasible.

Optimization of Water-Soluble Carbohydrate Extraction from Sweet Sorghum and Sweet Pearl Millet Biomass

The interest for sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet use as potential feedstocks for bioethanol production has markedly increased in the last few years due to the high concentration in fermentable carbohydrates in their juice. The bottleneck of this production is the carbohydrate extraction process that needs to be optimized. The main objective of this study was therefore to determine the effect of operating conditions on water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) extraction from the biomass of both species. For this purpose, two chopping modes of the biomass (coarse and fine) were investigated. Furthermore, the biomass was subjected to a second pressing after impregnation with water. In this context, the effects of four water:bagasse ratios (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2) and three water temperatures (25, 45, and 65 °C) were evaluated. The initial biomass WSC concentration was 180 g kg−1 DM for sweet sorghum and 125.7 g kg−1 DM for sweet pearl millet. After the first pressing, these concentrations decreased by 63 and 56%, respectively. For the second pressing, the efficiency of WSC extraction was more influenced by the water:bagasse ratio than by the chopping mode and the water temperature. For an economic and energetic sustainable extraction process of carbohydrates, a coarse chopping, and a second pressing after impregnation with a water:bagasse ratio of 1 at 25 °C are therefore recommended to improve residual carbohydrate extraction. Under these conditions, the WSC extraction yields reached 83 and 78% for sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet biomass, respectively.

The Effect of Sugarcane Bagasse to Rubber Seed Oil Ratios on The Chemical Composition of Liquid Fuels Produced by Zeolite-y Catalyzed Pyrolysis

In this research, co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and rubber seed oil using zeolite-Y as catalyst was carried out, with the main purpose to study the effect of raw material compositions on chemical composition of liquid fuel produced. For this purpose, the mixture of sugarcane bagasse and rubber seed oil with different mass ratios of bagasse to oil of 1 : 1; 1: 2; 1: 3: and 1: 4 was subjected to pyrolysis at 450 ° C in the presence of zeolite-Y as catalyst, and the liquid fuels were analyzed by GC-MS. The results show that liquid fuel contains hydrocarbons as main components, with several additional components include alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes, and acids. The liquid fuel produced from the raw material with the ratio of 1 : 3 was found to contain hydrocarbon with the highest relative percentage (87.91%), and consists of gasoline fraction (42.60%), kerosene fraction (43.59%), and residual fraction (1.72%).

UTILIZATION OF BAGASSE AND BY-PASS CEMENT IN PRODUCTION OF BRICKS

The aim of this research was manufacturing bricks has good specifications and environment friendly as well benefit of agricultural wastes in production of bricks. The mixtures were content of: (1) different ratios of bagasse (5, 10, and 15%) with cement kiln dust CKD ,by-pass cement, (45, 40, and 35%), (2) constant ratios of cement OPC (21%), sand S (15%), fly ash FA (9%) and hydrated lime HL (5(٪ by weight. Fifty four pieces of bricks were manufacture, prepared on 6 sample groups, with 9 bricks in each group. Each 27 bricks were using different particle size: (1) small chops (≤ 2.8 mm) and (2) large chops LC (> 2.8 mm) with various dosages of SB contents ranging from 5, 10 and 15% were added. Samples were manually mixed and placed into pressing mold to completion pressure. Then, samples were leaved to dry in the air for 28 days. Some physical and mechanical properties were measurement for these bricks. The obtained data showed that acoustic insulation and expansion increase with increasing SB in mixture while bulk density decrease for both SC and LC. The maximum value of bulk density was 1.43 g/cm3 at ratio of 5% SB for SC, the minimum value was 1.17 g/cm3 at ratio of 15% SB for LC. The maximum value of expansion was 10.46% at ratio of 15% SB for LC; the minimum value was 1.99% at ratio of 5% SB for SC. Water absorption percentage decreases with increasing SB for SC and increases with increasing SB for LC. The maximum value of water absorption percentage was 29.09% at ratio of 10% SB for LC; the minimum value was 18.99% at ratio of 5% SB for LC. Ratio of 15% SB for SC was gave higher compression stresses δc (kN/cm2) at lower strains. The values of compression stresses δc at 15% SB for SC were 0.18, 0.48 and 1.03 kN/cm2 at strains of 0.102, 0.154 and 0.2, respectively. Bending momentum increases with increasing SB for both SC and LC. The maximum value of bending momentum was 93.75 KN.mm at ratio of 15% SB for SC; the minimum value was 62.5 KN.mm at ratio of 5% SB for LC.

Valorization of sugarcane bagasse by developing completely biodegradable composites for industrial applications

Increasing constraints on the use of concrete and need to promote energy efficient green buildings are leading the research for new materials for civil engineering and architectural applications. Biobased renewable materials such as bamboo and coir are being studied for both indoor and outdoor applications. Utilizing agricultural residues and co-products for construction directly promotes sustainability and green building. In addition, substantial value can be added to the residues, use of synthetic polymers can be reduced and hence benefits to the environment can be accrued. In this research, we report an approach to utilize sugarcane bagasse for high value interior applications. We have used raw bagasse as reinforcement and wheat gluten as matrix to develop completely biodegradable ceiling tiles. Ratio of bagasse and gluten and density of the composite was varied to achieve desired level of performance. The biodegradable ceiling tiles were characterized for their flexural strength, thermal, water and acoustic resistance. The bagasse-gluten composite even at its lowest density had 63% higher flexural strength than the conventional gypsum based ceiling tiles. The composites exhibited good thermal stability until 250 °C. Maximum water absorbed by bagasse-gluten composites was 62% (w/w) as opposed to the 84% for the gypsum tiles. Furthermore, bagasse-gluten composites had similar flammability as that of the gypsum tiles and possessed moderate acoustic insulation and heat transmission. Bagasse based ceiling tiles meet most of the performance requirements and show high potential to replace the gypsum based tiles in current use.

Simultaneous SO2/NO removal performance of carbide slag pellets by bagasse templating in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor

Carbide slag pellets fabricated by bagasse templating using extrusion-spheronization were proposed to simultaneously remove SO2/NO from flue gas. The effects of the reaction temperature, O2 concentration, mass ratio of bagasse to carbide slag and particle size on the simultaneous SO2/NO removal performance of carbide slag pellets were investigated in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. CaO in the carbide slag pellets has a significant promotion effect on NO reduction by CO. SO2 and NO are completely removed by the carbide slag pellets at 825–875 °C. The presence of O2 in the reaction gas results in an adverse effect on NO removal by carbide slag pellets, while it leads to a positive effect on SO2 removal. With an increase in the mass of bagasse in the pellets, the duration for the complete NO removal becomes longer and the porosity of the pellets appears higher. Carbide slag pellets with a smaller particle size possess a higher NO removal capacity. The higher mass ratio of bagasse to carbide slag leads to a larger surface area and pore volume of the pellets during SO2/NO removal process but results in a slight decrease in the attrition resistance. Carbide slag pellets by bagasse templating for simultaneous SO2/NO removal seems promising in the industrial application.

Effect of gamma irradiation and fiber surface treatment on the properties of bagasse fiber-reinforced waste polypropylene composites

ABSTRACTBiocomposites of waste polypropylene (WPP) with bagasse fiber as reinforcing component can be readily prepared based on waste management application. Bagasse was subjected to chemical treatments using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and vinyl triethoxysilane to modify the fiber properties. Scanning electron microscope and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to elucidate fiber modification after treatments. Compounding of WPP at various ratios of bagasse was produced by melt mixing. Treated and untreated fiber composites were investigated under conditions of gamma irradiation at 20 kGy. In general behavior, at different fiber loadings, treated biocomposites have better properties than untreated one and fiber treated with silane is the best. Furthermore, treated biocomposites represented more biodegradability under soil than untreated one. The results of mechanical properties showed that the as-prepared fiber composites have superior irradiation-resistant properties.

Tensile and Flexural Properties of Polypropylene Composites Reinforced with Raw Bagasse

Polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with raw bagasse have properties comparable to that of chemically and/or physically treated bagasse fibers or powders. Bagasse is one of the most widely available agricultural wastes. Bagasse is mainly used as fuel but attempts have also been made to develop composites and other products using bagasse as reinforcement. Unlike previous attempts on using bagasse in powdered or after chemical modifications, we used raw bagasse consisting of both the pith and the rind to reinforce PP. This approach will preserve the properties of the bagasse and also reduce raw material costs. Layers of PP and bagasse were sandwiched together and compression-molded to form the composites. Various ratios of bagasse and PP were used and density of the composites was varied from 0.5 to 0.9 g/cm3. Tensile strength up to 14 MPa and flexural strength up to 2.5 GPa were obtained depending on the density and proportion of the bagasse and polypropylene in the composites. Using raw bagasse as reinforcement is a better approach to obtain inexpensive composites with adequate tensile and flexural properties.

Bostrycin production by agro-industrial residues and its potential for food processing.

Bostrycin, a red antibacterial agent produced by Nigrospora sp. no. 407, is considered for meat processing. To optimize production, the culture conditions of submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) were investigated. The optimal SmF conditions were a medium containing 1.0% cane molasses and incubation at 30°C and 150rpm for 6days. In SSF, other than bostrycin, less pigment was produced and the optimal ratio of bagasse to water was 1:2 for 10days. The production and recovery rate of bostrycin by SmF were 120mg/L and 40%, respectively. Bostrycin exhibited thermostable, pH-dependent color change and dose-dependent antibacterial activity against Clostridium botulinum. Bostrycin-modified meat turned strong red for at least 24h and could not be removed by washing; bostrycin maintained its antibacterial activity with a bacteriostasis rate of 91% on Staphylcoccus aureus. This is an easy and inexpensive means of acquiring bostrycin from molasses and sugarcane.

Polypropylene Composites Reinforced with Biodegraded Sugarcane Bagasse Fibers: Static and Dynamic Mechanical Properties

The present work aimed to study sugarcane bagasse fibers pre-treated with fungi and using NaOH/ anthraquinone (AQ) in chemical pulping processes for applications in composite materials. Bagasse was decayed with 250 mg of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora inoculum in a 20 L bioreactor. After that, samples were submitted to similar conditions of decaying without inoculum charge. Decayed and undecayed fibers were treated with NaOH 12.5 wt%, 0.15 of AQ and a 12:1 (v/w) liquor:bagasse ratio at 160°C. Then, all obtained fibers were characterized according to their chemical composition. Dried biotreated (decayed) and control (undecayed) fibers were mixed through an extruder process with polypropylene. Later, composite granulates were injected directly in mold with cavities for tensile, flexural and shear tests. Composite materials with 10 and 20 wt% fibers were submitted to static mechanical standard tests and DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analysis) to evaluate the effect of biotreatment. Biotreatment, cook time (pulping), and fiber content contributed to improvements in the mechanical properties of the composites. The interface between fiber and matrix was increased with the biotreatment and pulping of fibers. Furthermore, DMA results also showed that fiber incorporation into PP improved the modulus, mainly for biotreated fibers/PP composites. The Tg (tan δ data) from composites was dislocated at lower temperatures with respect to neat PP due to the influence of fibers on matrix.

Analyzing the pyrolysis kinetics of rice straw, bagasse, and mixtures thereof and product energy yield

In Taiwan, rice straw and bagasse are major agricultural wastes that are produced in extremely large quantities and volumes and contain high moisture content. Current processing methods remain inadequate; therefore, this study focused on the pyrolysis and relevant analyses of rice straw, bagasse, and mixtures thereof to investigate the feasibility of copyrolyzing rice straw and bagasse for renewable energy generation. Mixtures containing various ratios of bagasse and rice straw were examined through physical, chemical, thermogravimetric, and reaction kinetics analyses. Pyrolysis experiments were conducted to investigate the energy yield of the reaction products. Both bagasse and rice straw contained low ash content, and thermal processing effectively reduced the waste volume and cost of final disposal. A mixture content containing approximately 30 wt% rice straw (potassium content reaching 8.50 g/kg) substantially reduced the activation energies required for copyrolysis reactions, subsequently reducing energies required for thermal processing. The solid char generated from pyrolyzing the bagasse and rice straw mixtures did not decay easily and exhibited high storability and transportability. Moreover, volumetric energy densities substantially increased after pyrolysis. Therefore, copyrolysis is arguably a feasible and effective alternative biofuel conversion method for countries that process large quantities of bagasse and rice straw.

Shifts in the composition and potential functions of soil microbial communities responding to a no-tillage practice and bagasse mulching on a sugarcane plantation

This study examined the effect of conversion from a conventional tillage (CT) to a no-tillage (NT) practice and of bagasse mulching (M) on soil microbial community composition and potential functions, using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and shotgun metagenome sequencing. Our results showed that both the NT and the M treatment increased microbial PLFAs. The shotgun sequencing results suggested that the functional profiles are more resistant to agricultural managements than to community compositions, which supports the hypothesis of the functional redundancy of soil microbial communities. However, some metabolism-related sequences were significantly affected by different treatments. The percentage of sequences related to metabolism of carbohydrates, especially saccharide groups, was significantly higher in the CT soils than in NT and M soils, which may be linked to lower carbon (C) availability in CT soils. Compared with CT, the NT had higher alpha diversity and more sequences related to DNA metabolism, which may be associated with higher nutrient availability. On the other hand, the M treatment decreased the percentages of sequences related to the metabolism of amino acids and derivatives, which may be due to the limited nitrogen (N) because of the high C/N ratio of bagasse. We also observed interaction effects of the NT and M treatments; although both the NT and M treatments increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, this variable in NT + M soils was not higher than in each single treatment. Overall, our findings suggest that the microbial communities change their composition and functionality in response to the NT and M treatments, and these shifts have the potential to affect important soil processes that sustain crop productivity, such as C sequestration and major nutrient cycles.

Effect of Alkali Treatment Using Calcium Hydroxide and the Fiber Length on the Strength of Sugarcane Bagasse Fibers-Polypropylene Composites

Milling sugarcanes to produce sugar generates by-product called bagasse. Due to the large availability and low cost, the potential of obtaining renewable and biodegradable fibers from bagasse had been explored. To produce fibers from these bagasse, the bagasse was treated in alkali solution using 14 % v/v calcium hydroxide, Ca (OH)2 at high temperature (60-70°C) for 4 hours. After treatment and washed to remove dissolved substances, the fibers were cut into 3 and 5 cm length. Some fibers were prepared in their original length. These fibers were mixed with polypropylene (PP) matrix in weight % ratios of bagasse fibers/PP 20/80, 25/75, and 30/70 and hotpressed to make composite samples. Composites produced were characterised with tensile test to evaluate their tensile properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed on the fiber surface as well as on the fracture area of the tensile tested samples. Tensile strength of the composite shows an increase with the increase of the fiber length and weight % ratios of bagasse fibers/PP up to 25/75 and decreases when bagasse fibers were added to 30 wt.%. The highest strength of 11,30 MPa was obtained when 5 cm fibers were used in a weight % ratio of bagasse fibers/PP at 25/75. SEM study found a greater number of fibers oriented perpendicular to the tension direction.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SUPERABSORBENT HYDROGEL BASED ON SUGARCANE BAGASSE GRAFTED ONTO POLYACRYLIC

Superabsorbents hydrogel were prepared by grafting of sugarcane bagasse on polyacrylic acid by using N, N -methylenebisacrylamide as cross-linker and ammonium persulphate as initiator. Factors such as weight ratios of bagasse and acrylicacid monomer that affect the properties of the product were investigated. Properties of superabsorbent such as water uptake,gel fraction,morphological structure and thermal properties were also examined.