Monitoring the emissions generated in the combustion process of the straw/bagasse sugarcane mixture using a laboratory-scale burner

Abstract

Brazil is today the largest producer of sugarcane, with emphasis on the south-central region that accounts for approximately 90% of the national production. Because of the large production, many tons of waste are generated, mainly straw and bagasse obtained after the milling process. An alternative to the use of this biomass is the production of energy by direct combustion that results in the emission of gases and particulate matter that contributes to poor air quality, relating to the causes of the greenhouse. The sugarcane processing industries themselves use part of the biomass as a source of heat for the boilers, the generation of energy and the sale of the surplus, as a form of integral use of the raw material and substitution to the fuel oil of from fossil. Bagasse and straw sugarcane, as lignocellulosic materials rich in sugars, could also be used in biorefineries for the production of high value-added bioproducts. Thus, the study of the emissions generated in the burn of this material is important. As well as the use of pretreatment steps to remove the hemicellulosic fraction, allowing the better use of this raw material, since with the separation of the macromolecular fractions it is possible to obtain valuable chemical products, as an interesting option for the industrial sector, besides a reduction in the concentration of the degradation products. (AU)