Bagasse

Bagasse (/bəˈɡæs/ bə-GAS) is the dry pulpy fibrous material that remains after crushing sugarcane or sorghum stalks to extract their juice.

For paper and pulp production, the bagasse is normally stored wet so as to facilitate the subsequent removal of any remaining sugar as well as the short pith fibres.

Numerous research efforts have explored using bagasse in the production of bio-based materials and as a biofuel in renewable power generation.

[7] In contrast, a study in the International Journal of Global Warming warned that electricity generation with bagasse would never be fully carbon-free but did represent a large reduction in carbon emissions compared to the use of diesel.

Second generation biohydrogen, biomethane, biomethanol, or bioethanol through the biochemical route is considered to not only be an eco-friendly, but also economically feasible option.

[9][10][11] Thermochemical production pathways, such as hydrothermal liquefaction, pyrolysis and gasification of bagasse are a promising alternative to produce advanced 2G biofuels (e.g. jet fuel and Diesel) and chemicals (e.g. for plastics) with low life cycle impacts.

[12][13] In many tropical and subtropical countries such as India, China, Colombia, Iran, Thailand, and Argentina, bagasse is commonly used instead of wood in the production of pulp, paper and board.

This substitution produces pulp with physical properties that are well suited for printing and notebook paper, tissue products, boxes, and newspapers.

[citation needed] The industrial steps to convert bagasse into paper was developed in 1937 at a small laboratory in Hacienda Paramonga, a sugar mill on the coast of Peru owned by the W.R. Grace Company.

Using a promising method invented by Clarence Birdseye,[14][15] the company bought an old paper mill in Whippany, New Jersey and shipped bagasse from Peru there to test the viability of the process on an industrial scale.

This demonstration was done in collaboration with the governments of Puerto Rico and Argentina due to the economic importance of the product in countries without ready access to wood fibers.