Development and Test Performance of a Predictive Reaction Model for Moderate Temperature Delignification of Sugarcane Bagasse using Sodium Hydroxide

Authors: Baba AH, Shafihi U, Saba AM, Aberuagba F, Ishaq MN

DOI Info: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6721160

ABSTRACT

Reduction of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere in order to curb global warming, necessitates harnessing energy from sources other than fossil fuel. Such sources include sugarcane bagasse, whose processing into energy precursor must be preceded by the removal of its protective and recalcitrant lignin layer. This paper developed and simulated a predictive reaction model for low temperature lignin removal from sugarcane bagasse using sodium hydroxide. Results showed increase in degree of delignification with pH up to 10. There was however no significant increase in degree of delignification between pH 10 and 11 for the temperature values studied. Treatments using 0.3 mm particle diameter showed increase de-lignification compared with those for 0.6 and 1.2 mm. A maximum degree of de-lignification of 62.2% was achieved at 50 ^oC, pH 11, 60 kgm^-3 NaOH concentration and 0.3 mm particle diameter after 48 h. Also, both temperature and pH reduced significantly within 24 h when not controlled at set point resulting in lesser amount of lignin removal. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicated changes in the morphology of bagasse after NaOH treatments. A modified pseudo-first order kinetics with activation energy of 44.04 kJmol^-1 was found to represent degree of delignification of sugarcane bagasse. The simulated results compared favourably with the experimental results in all of the parameters investigated.

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