Physical properties of bagasse

Bagasse is a by-product of sugar milling and important fuel resource for that industry. It is a fibrous, low density material with a very wide range of particle sizes and high moisture content. It is difficult to characterize properties of bagasse particles in the usual ways (i.e. by particle density, site, drag co-efficient, etc.). These properties are necessary to apply normal design procedures to, for example, pneumatic conveying, fluidization, drying, combustion, etc. In this paper techniques to determine some physical properties of the three major components of bagasse, namely pith, fibre and rind, are demonstrated. Average material properties may then be obtained based on the weight proportions of the components constituting the bagasse. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.