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Valorization of Ethiopian Sugarcane Bagasse to Assess its Suitability for Pulp and Paper Production

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Abstract

This research provides an assessment of the Ethiopian sugarcane bagasse (ESCB) and examines its suitability for the pulp and paper production. The study is focused toward carrying out the physical fractionation pretreatment on the ESCB aiming at the reduction of its lignin, extractive, silica and ash content. A measurement on the chemical composition was carried out to determine the cellulose, lignin, holocellulose, ash and silica content. Furthermore, cold and hot water solubility, 1% NaOH solubility and the presence of ethanol–toluene extractives were measured. Chemical composition analysis of sugarcane bagasse revealed a good level of cellulose (≈ 50%) and Klason lignin content (< 30%). The measurement of the ESCB fiber dimensions (fiber length of 1.86 mm, fiber diameter of 30.02 µm, cell-wall thickness of 2.53 µm) advocates its application in the paper and pulp industry. The physical fractionation pretreatment had a significant effect on reducing the lignin, extractive, ash and silica content in the ESCB, as could be evidenced from the FTIR analysis. These results demonstrate the efficacy of Ethiopian sugarcane bagasse and validate it as a suitable raw material for pulp and paper industry.

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Acknowledgements

The first author is very grateful to Addis Ababa Institute of Technology for financial support, Hawassa Institute of Technology, for the study leave and Wood Technology Research Center of the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute for the laboratory support. The comments and recommendations of the anonymous reviewers and the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. R.P. Rao, are greatly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Process Engineering Division, School of Chemical and Bio Engineering, Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Medhanit Mamaye, Zebene Kiflie, Abubeker Yimam & S. Anuradha Jabasingh

  2. Ethiopian Agricultural Research Council Secretariat, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Sisay Feleke

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  1. Medhanit Mamaye
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  2. Zebene Kiflie
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  3. Sisay Feleke
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  4. Abubeker Yimam
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  5. S. Anuradha Jabasingh
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Correspondence to S. Anuradha Jabasingh.

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Mamaye, M., Kiflie, Z., Feleke, S. et al. Valorization of Ethiopian Sugarcane Bagasse to Assess its Suitability for Pulp and Paper Production. Sugar Tech 21, 995–1002 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-019-00724-x

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