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Physical-chemical characterization of pineapple stubble as possible raw material for bioenergetics - RIIIT
Physical-chemical characterization of pineapple stubble as possible raw material for bioenergetics
The present research focuses on the physicochemical characterization of pineapple stubble, to use as a substrate for further biorefinery processes. Costa Rica is a leader in the export of fresh pineapple (Ananas Comosus) worldwide and is among the 10 countries with the largest cultivated area. This high production, in turn, generates annually 4.6 x 106 metric tons of stubble (roots, stems, leaves, and side shoots). This material causes great environmental impact since highly polluting chemicals (such as 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridyl) are frequently used to dehydrate the material and to obtain an easy handling volume of by-products from the pineapple industry. To do this, cantons (San Carlos and Los Chiles) located in the Province of Alajuela (at the Northern Region of Costa Rica) were monitored. Composite of 15 to 20 plants per lot were analyzed following a simple random quadrant sampling method from seven pineapple farms located in the zone under study. All data were reported as g/100 g of dry matter: Moisture content at 60°C (85.58 ± 1.68), ash (12.28 ± 3.66); hemicellulose (20.30 ± 2.39), cellulose (34.57 ± 2.82), and acid detergent lignin (4.04±1.58). For samples containing 11% to 15% moisture, the heat of combustion was 15.1 ± 0.8 MJ/kg (like Tectona grandis 15.26 MJ/kg, Elaeis guineesis 15.83 MJ/kg), and the energy consumption to eliminate the remaining moisture below 5% is close to 10-15% of the energy produced. The results obtained show that pineapple stubble has the potential to be used as a raw material for energy production.
Keywords: Bioenergy, Biorefinery, pineapple stubble, raw materials.
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