THE USE OF SUGARCANE BAGASSE ASH AS AN Mohamed Eljack Suliman* and

Samah M. Fudl Almola**

ALTERNATIVE LOCAL POZZOLANIC MATERIAL:
STUDY OF CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

ABSTRACT seen that materials that were being used about a

century back are still very popular. Commercial
The sugarcane bagasse ash is used as fuel in the exploitation of traditional building materials by various
boilers of the Kinana sugar factory in Sudan. The field industries has aggravated the situation. It has,
observation and qualitative study of the ash revealed therefore, become necessary to think over this
that it consisted of major amounts of carbon and problem seriously and to provide some sustainable
organic materials; this is due to the incomplete solution to make the alternative materials available to
combustion of bagasse fibers in boilers. Therefore, it solve this problem. Hence, the use of an alternative
became necessary to recondition the samples for use and cheaper local building material to substitute the
as pozzolana by re-ashing it. The study of chemical ones being traditionally used may facilitate solving the
composition of the ash revealed that such byproducts acute problems relating to building materials
are likely to be pozzolanic. Comparison between (Ballerino, 2002).
chemical compositions of Kinana sugarcane bagasse
ash and the pulverized coal fly ashes (ASTM C 618 Recently, a variety of alternative building materials are
1999) shows that the composition of bagasse available. The use of these new materials may provide
resembles that of Class F Coal Fly Ash, as the total of better, efficient, durable and cost-effective
alumina, silica, and ferric oxide content is about 72 %. construction-material resources with reduced
It may, therefore, behave like Class F Fly Ash, in its degradation of environment. Some of the materials
engineering properties. are manufactured by using waste materials, such as
fly ash (the ashen byproduct of burning coal), or
Keywords: Sugarcane, Bagasse ash, Pozzolana, Fly agricultural waste ash as the raw material for their
ash. production (ASTM C 618, 1999).

1. INTRODUCTION Among other properties, pozzolanic activity is the

main property that the researchers seek in industrial
In the Republic of the Sudan, there are five operational waste material of mineral nature. The pozzolanas are
sugar factories that utilize sugarcane. These factories materials containing reactive silica and/or alumina,
are located at New Halfa in Kassala State; Guenied in which on their own have little or no binding property,
Gezira State; Sinnar in Sinnar State, and Kinana and but when mixed with lime in the presence of water will
Assalaya in White Nile State. Some of these factories set and harden like a cement (Lea, 1956). They are
are generating electric power by using the sugarcane important ingredients in the production of an
bagasse fibres. Bagasse is the fibrous leftover after alternative cementing material to ordinary Portland
sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice. cement. Nowadays, a wide variety of siliceous or
Bagasse is now used as a biofuel – as a renewable aluminous materials of both natural and artificial
resource in the manufacture of pulp and paper origins are being used for producing pozzolanas, the
products, and building materials. Bagasse is often common material being calcined clays; pulverized fly
used as a primary fuel source for sugar mills; when ash; volcanic ash; diatomaceous earth and ash from
burned in quantity, it produces sufficient heat energy to agricultural residues; such as rice husks (Oyetola, and
supply all the needs of a typical sugar mill, with energy Abdullahi, 2006); and sugarcane bagasse ash
to spare. To this end, a secondary use for this waste (Hernandez, Middendorf, Gehrke, and Budelmann,
product is in co-generation. The use of a fuel source to 1998). The industrial byproducts, including clays and
provide (i) heat energy, used in the mill, and (ii) wastes with an elevated silica content, are used as
electricity, which is typically sold to the consumer pozzolanas partially in place of Portland cement. This
electricity grid. The combustion yields ashes is due to their capacity for reacting with Calcium
containing high amounts of unburned matter, Silicon hydroxide (Ca (OH)2), produced during the hydration
and Aluminum oxides as main components (Paya, J. of the Portland cement. Hydrated compounds formed
et al., 2002). during pozzolanic reactions commonly improve the
performance of new cements (Massazza, 1976;
The demand for building materials has been Taylor, 1997; Metha, 1998; Frý´as, Sa´nchez de
continuously rising with the increasing consumption of Rojas, and Urý´a, 2002; and Frý´as, and Sa´nchez de
buildings, both in rural and urban areas. It has been Rojas, 2004). The recycling of industrial wastes from

* Industrial Research & Consultancy Center, Khartoum, Sudan. Email: [email protected]

** Juba University, Khartoum, Sudan
A scientific journal of COMSATS – SCIENCE VISION Vol.16 and Vol. 17 (January 2010 to December 2011) 65
The Use of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash as an Alternative Local Pozzolanic Material: Study of Chemical Composition

the agricultural sector is increasingly encouraged, can be used in many construction applications where
particularly in developing countries, e.g., Cuba, India they have advantages, e.g. as mortars, renders and
and Brazil. For use as pozzolanas, the agricultural non-structural concretes (Markopoulos, and
wastes need prior calcination but pozzolanic Triantafyllon, 2004).
activation can vary substantially as a result of the
calcining conditions and the nature of the source Pozzolanic cements additionally have numerous other
materials. However, there are contradictory reports technical advantages to the user, such as improved
about the pozzolanic effectiveness of agricultural workability, water retention/reduced bleeding,
waste ashes, possibly due to the use of different sulphate resistance, resistance to alkali and lowered
calcining temperatures (Martirena, Middendorf, and heat of hydration. Therefore, in many large civil
Budelman, 1998; Baguant, 1995; Paya, et al., 2002; engineering projects involving mass concrete works,
and Singh, Singh, and Rai, 2000). Portland cement-pozzolana mixes are specified due
to these technical advantages (Eljack, 2008).
Since the beginning of the 20th century, sugarcane
bagasse has been used as fuel in the boilers of the The objective of this paper is to describe the chemical
sugar factories. The sugarcane bagasse consists of nature of some of these resources and to emphasize
approximately 50 % of cellulose, 25 % of the fundamental properties of this class of material so
hemicelluloses and 25 % of lignin. Each ton of that it can be best utilized in an appropriate manner.
sugarcane generates approximately 26 % of bagasse
(at a moisture content of 50 %) and 0.62 % of residual 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
ash. In 2003, approximately 95 % of the sugarcane
bagasse produced in Brazil was burnt to generate A total of six samples (three each from Kinana and
energy resulting in about two million tons of residual Guenaid Sugar companies) of sugarcane bagasse
ash (Cordiero, et al., 2004). Table-1 illustrates the ash obtained after combustion of the bagasse fibres,
basic composition of different bagasse fibres, studied for power generation were chemically analyzed. The
by various authors. field observation and qualitative studies of sugarcane
Table-1: Basic Composition of Bagasse Fibres (% by mass)

The residue after combustion presents a chemical bagasse ash revealed that it consists of a major
composition dominated by Silicon dioxide (SiO2), amount of carbon and organic materials. This is due to
Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and Ferric oxide (Fe2O3). In the incomplete combustion of bagasse fibres in
order to be used as a mineral admixture, the residual boiler's system (Eljack, Mohamed and Ibrahim, 2009;
sugarcane ash must have appropriate physical and and Scheetz, et al., 1997). Thereof, it became
chemical properties. The research work of Hernandez, necessary to recondition the samples for use as
Middendorf, Gehrke, and Budelmann (1998), pozzolanic material by re-ashing again at 700°C in the
emphasizes the similarity between the chemical laboratory to exclude the high carbon content. It was
composition of the rice husk residual ash and the then pulverized to pass 150-micron sieve and the
residual bagasse ash (Metha, 1998 and Malhotra, resulting ash was chemically analyzed. Table-2 shows
(Ed.), 1996). The study of the mineralogical the results of chemical analysis of bagasse ash from
composition of different wastes of sugar industry, Kinana and Guenaid sugar companies.
mainly sugarcane bagasse ash and sugarcane straw
ash, have shown that such byproducts are likely to be 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
pozzolanic (Hernandez, Middendorf, Gehrke, and
Budelmann, 1998); their use in lime-pozzolana The results of the chemical analyses are presented in
binders could become an interesting alternative to Table-2, which shows that the amount of silicon
Portland cement. The alternative cements are not dioxide varies from 56.70 % in Guenaid sugar factory
capable of replacing Portland cement totally, but they bagasse ash to 58.03 % in Kinana bagasse ash; and

66 A scientific journal of COMSATS – SCIENCE VISION Vol.16 and Vol. 17 (January 2010 to December 2011)
 Mohamed Eljack Suliman & Samah Mohmmed Fudl Almola

Table-2: Average Chemical Composition of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash from Kinana and Guenaid

iron oxide content ranges between 15.52 % in content. Class F contains a total of at least 70% of
Guenaid to 4.56 % in Kinana. Aluminum, Calcium and these three oxides and Class C contains greater than
Magnesium oxides and loss on ignition (LOI) also 50% of the three oxides (ASTM C 618, 1999). Table-3
showed significant variations in contents. summarizes the average bulk composition of a Class F
ash based on some analyses (Scheetz, et al., 1997;
Those variations may be due to the difference in soil and Scheetz, and Earl, 1998).
type from one area to another. The significant
increments of CaO values from 9.30% in Guenaid From Table-2, the chemical composition of the
sugarcane bagasse ash to13.71% Kinana bagasse sugarcane bagasse ash from Kinana sugar factory is
ash may be due to the presence of the lime nodules seen to resemble that of Class F coal fly ash (Table-3),
that are very common in the sediments of the White especially in terms of the total of Alumina, Silica, and
Nile area, where Kinana sugar factory is situated. Ferric oxide content. Therefore, it may also behave
These nodules include various forms of calcium like Class F fly ash in its engineering properties. Table-
carbonate, like calcite nodules and crystals, fossil 4 shows the range of chemical composition of fly ash
shells as well as Ankerite (mixed carbonate of Ca, Mg, and a comparison between chemical compositions of
Fe and Mn) (Eljack, 2008), due to the different fertilizer Kinana sugarcane bagasse ash and the pulverized
treatments applied, to improve the cane production. coal fly ashes (ASTM C 618, 1999) classification.

The chemical composition of the sugarcane bagasse The major advantages of the bagasse ash is that it is
ash produced in the laboratory showed that it is a non- cheaper to produce, needs much lower or even
volatile, incombustible, thermally altered mineral negligible capital inputs to get started, and requires far
matter that was contained in sugarcane. The principal fewer imported technological equipment because it is
component of those ashes is certain mineral oxides produced by already existing facilities. They can also
dominant mineral phase in sugarcane. These minerals be produced on a small scale to supply a local market
will undergo dehydroxylation in a fluidized bed resulting in greatly reduced transportation costs and a
combustion facility and melt to form glass in a bagasse much greater degree of local accountability in the
combustion unit (Howard, 1989). supply of building materials.

When the chemical composition of the sugarcane There are five sugar factories in the Republic of the
bagasse ash is compared with the chemical Sudan. According to the estimates of the Sudan Sugar
Table-3: Average Bulk Composition of a Class F Fly Ash

composition of pulverized coal fly ashes, classified by Company officials, they were delegated to produce a
ASTM (ASTM C 618, 1999) by their aggregate total of 7 million tons of sugarcane stems annually.
Alumina, Silica, and Ferric oxide content into Class F Each ton of sugarcane stems yields 26% bagasse
or C. Class F coal ashes are generally produced by fibres, i.e. 1.82 million tons of bagasse fibres annually.
higher rank coals and typically have lower calcium

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The Use of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash as an Alternative Local Pozzolanic Material: Study of Chemical Composition

Table-4: Comparison between Chemical Compositions of Kinana Sugarcane Bagasse Ash, Guenaid
Sugarcane Bagasse Ash and the Pulverized Coal Fly Ashes ASTM C 618 Classification

Most of the factories are used to burning bagasse Pozzolan for Use in Concrete, pp 3.
fibres for power generation; the burning of one ton of • Baguant, K., 1995. “Properties of Concrete with
bagasse leads to the production of 0.62% of residual Bagasse Ash as Fine Aggregate,” Fly Ash, Silica
ash (Cordiero, et al., 2004). So, theoretically, the Fume, Slag, and Natural Pozzolans in Concrete,
burning of 1.82 million tons of bagasse fibres is going Proceedings of the Fifth CANMET/ACI
to produce 11,284 tons of residual ash. International Conference, SP-153, V. 1, V. M.
Malhotra, ed., American Concrete Institute,
4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Farmington Hills, MI, pp. 315-338.
• Ballerino, C. C., 2002. Building Materials &
The recent average results of the chemical analyses of Engineering Design Low-Income Housing
the sugarcane bagasse ash from Kinana and Guenaid Projects Port Elizabeth-South Africa MSc. Thesis
sugar factories revealed that sugarcane bagasse The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm,
combustion products (ash) resembles pozzolana in Sweden, 91 p.
chemical nature. Therefore, it should be considered as • Bon, E.S.B., 2007. Ethanol production via
an important mineral resource in Sudan. It might be enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and
successfully used as an engineering material for a straw. Paper presented at the Food and
wide variety of applications. The chemical Agricultural Organization Symposium: The role of
investigations on the bagasse ash carried in this study agricultural biotechnology in the production of bio-
indicated that it has had more or less the same energy in energy in developing countries.
chemical composition of other artificial pozzolanic Available online at: <http://
material, like fly ash or any other conventional www.fao.org/biotech/presentation/bon> .
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Mechanical grinding on the pozzolanic activity of
The author considers that the material may be used for residual sugarcane bagasse ash. In: Conference
preparing lime ash (pozzolana) mixture for local use on the Use of Recycled Materials in the Building
as a mortar; and other low cost building material, such and structures. Barcelona Nov. 2004,
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production areas where its availability is high. Formations of Eljebalein – EdDueim area with
Therefore, more detailed work to explore the physical Reference to their Suitability for Building
and mineralogical characteristics of these materials Materials, Ph.D Thesis, Sudan Academy of
will enable expansion of engineering and useful Science.
applications for environment conservation. • Eljack, M., Mohamed, B., and Ibrahim, A.E., 2009.
Utilization of Sand Dunes as Indigenous
As should be done for all mineral resources, it is Substitute for Fired Clay Brick in White Nile Area.
strongly recommended to exercise the applications of Sudan Academy of Science, 3(1), pp.42-55
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