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New Bagasse Based IndustriesPrepared by:M.KH.Soliman

Chairman& managing directorNAG HAMADY FIBER BOARD COMPANY

EGYPT

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Bagasse is one of the oldest agri fiber used in many industries.

• Some of these industries are old or traditional like pulp & paper –wood based panels, live feed stock etc..

• Others are new but tell now it has not used in large industrial scale.

• This presentation is concentrated on two of new industries i.e. natural fiber plastic composite and new generation of solid biofuel from bagasse.

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Natural fiber plastic composite “NFPC”

Wood was used first in wood plastic composites (WPC) mostly as wood flour.

Then natural fiber replaced wood in “NFPC”

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Composite Definition

•Two or more dissimilar materials which when combined become stronger than

the individual materials.

•Composites can be both natural and synthetic "man-made"

•Wood is a good example for natural composites, as it is a combination of

cellulose fiber and lignin. Cellulose fiber provides strength and lignin is the

"glue " that bonds and stabilizes the fiber.

•Plywood and other wood composites like MDF is a made man, composite

where normal wood is bonded together with adhesive to form panels.

•Ancient Egyptian used straw in making mud bricks 1400BC

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Fiber Classification

Fiber

Natural Man-MadeAcc. To origin

Vegetable "jute-flax-begasse"Mineral like fiber glass, carbon fiber etc.

Wood " Kraft -TMP"Polymerslike nylon , PET polyester PVC , PP and PE

Animal "wool hair like cashmere" Micro fibers like polyester drown to 0.5 dn, textile fiber etc.

Mineral "asbestos .atc." 

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In natural fiber plastic composite natural fiber is replacing 50% of the plastic used in plastic industry, advantages are:-

A. Cost saving

B. Composite gives better mechanical quality .

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1-NFPC industry

Raw Materials:-

• Bagasse

• Plastic (Polyolefin)

• Additives

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Raw Materials1- Bagasse

• Bagasse is the fiber residue from cane Sugar industry.

• Bagasse is already used as fuel in cane Sugar mill.

• Bagasse is used also in wood composites, feed stock and paper industries.

• Bagasse has specification similar to hard wood.

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* In WPCS and NFPC industry the following polymers are used:-

•Polyethylene

•Polypropline

•PVC

* In extrusion high density Polyethylene " HDPE" is used

* In order to get a good flow and output rate HDPE should has:-

A- Melt flow 0.3 – 1.0 g/10 min " 2.16 kg load, 190 C° "

B- High flexural e-module

Raw Materials 2-Plastic(Polyolefin)

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Key Products Function/Benefit

Coupling AgentsFiber adhesion/dispersion

AntioxidantsPrevents degradation

LubricantsImproves flow and manufacturing

Nucleating AgentsEnhances stiffness

Foaming AgentsReduces density

Impact ModifiersIncreases impact strength

Fiber TreatmentsEnhances fiber wetting

Heat StabilizersPrevents processing degradation

Processing AidsPrevents die sticking

masterbatchcoloring

3- Chemicals additives used in WPC/NFPC

Raw Materials

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Estimate of European WPC applications in 2003 , from interviews by the hackwell group

paper machinery parts; 5%

decking; 23%

other profiles; 5%

fumiture ,garden

fumiture; 5%

cladding , siding; 20%

fencing,railling noise

reduction panels; 15%

w indow products

doorframes skirting

boards; 22%

shuttering for econcrete

casting etc; 5%

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1 -Raw material preparation-:

Bagasse and plastics are prepared according to process needs.

2 -Up stream

For raw material ( Bagasse ,plastic and additives)

•Weighing

•Gravimetric dosing

•Blending

•Compounding

3-Main stream

Pellets produces after compounding are directed to twin extrodur

4-Down stream

Cooling

Sawing "cutting into size"

5-Packing

Decking NFPC plant

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Second industry2- Bagasse as biofuel

• Biofuel : any fuel that derivate from bio mass• Biomass :The organic materials produced by

plants, such as leaves, roots, seeds, and stalks. In some cases, microbial and animal metabolic wastes are also considered biomass. The term “biomass” is intended to refer to materials that do not directly go into foods or consumer products but may have alternative industrial uses.

• Bagasse: is solid biofuel

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Bagasse as second generation biofuel

• Second generation is the renewable form of fuel that is produced from cellulose biomasses.

• Bagasse: can be transformed to any of the three forms ,improved solid or liquid or gaseous biofuels.

This lecture is handling with second generation solid form.

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Why the need to second generation bagasse fuel

Disadvantages of raw bagasse as biofuel:-• low calorific value • low bulk density• high moisture content• hygroscopic nature.• Smoking during combustion• Transforming of bagasse to new form can

eliminate most of these disadvantages.

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• The best recent procedure of new generation solid biofuel is combination of torrefaction and pelleting procedures , the product is known as torrified biofuel pellets .

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Torrefaction procedures

• Torrefaction is a thermochemical treatment of bio mass at 200 to 300°C it is carried out under atmospheric conditions and the absence of oxygen , in addition , the process is characterized by low particle heating rate (<50°C /min.).

• During the process the biomass particle decomposes giving off various type of volatiles .

• Final product is remaining brown solid, which is often referred to as torrifed biomass .

• Typically, 70% of the mass is retained as a solid product while contain 90% of the initial energy content

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Figure 5

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Pelletizing procedure

• Pelletizing is a compacting process that produces homogenous fuel with high energy density into different shapes like square , rectangle and cube.

• Important advantage of Pelletizing is addressing the issue of low bulk density of biomass which has impact on transportation costs as well as the required storage space , it can also restrict the co firing ratio due to limited capacity of boiler impact system.

• Challenges related to this technique include problems during uploading and unloading of the pellets as they can be sensitive to mechanical damaging because they can absorb moisture.

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Torrefaction & palletizing procedure.• Torrefaction is thermo-chemical treatment method done by

heating bagasse to 200-300°C in absence of oxygen at near atmospheric pressure and characterized by low heating rate (<50°C /min.).

• Drying takes place first.• Further heating removes new amount of water through

thermo-condensation process which occurs at temp. over 160°C formation of CO2 begins .

• Between 180-270°C an hemicelluloses destruction goes on .• Bagasse begins to be brown and gives off moistures , CO2

and large amount of acetic acid.• At 280 °C the reaction is entirely exothermal and gas

production is increased , CO and hydrocarbon are developed , phenol and other heavier product are formed.

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Figure 7

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Figure 8

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Advantages of Torrefaction& pelleting process

• Higher energy density: As all volatile components have low energy value are removed.

• More homogeneous composition

• Losing hygroscopic behavior

• Elimination of bio logical activity

• Improved grainstability leads to more efficient co firing

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New approach of bagasse torrefaction

•This lecture was prepared two years ago. Since that date further investigations have been done •The most advanced experimental work is done in 2012 by departure of green energy national university of Taiwan and Taiwan Sugar Corporation and the biggest sugar company AP sugar English company entered this field by introducing Hi-Tech production •Short presentation of these works is shown in next pages

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Classification of Torrefaction process

Dry process wet process “hydrothermal carbonation”

Temp range 200-300 °CTemp range 180-260 °C.

Reaction time 30 min-several hourReaction time 5-240

Nitrogen is employed as carrier gas biomass is immersed in solutions with gauge pressure up to 4.6 mpa

 

Torrefaction

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Conclusions of Taiwan experiment

• Wet torrefaction of sugar cane bagasse has investigated and compared to dry torrefaction compared to using water, hydrothermal of bagasse can be enhanced greatly if the dilute sulfuric acid solution is employed along with 30 min heating time.

• When the energy density of bagasse is enhanced by 20% the temperature of wet torrefaction can be lower than that of dry process around 100 °c but energy yield from wet torrefaction is less than that from dry torrefaction around 10% it is also found that particle fragmentation becomes more pronounced when wet torrefaction is more severe.

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Thank you

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