Bagasse Ash Yield of Different Components of Sugarcane and their Pozzolanic Characteristics

Abstract

Bagasse ash is the ash of the fibrous residue obtained from sugarcane after extraction of sugar juice, locally or at sugar mills. Three types of bagasse ash, obtained from different bagasse compositions, and from different components of sugarcane, were studied. Sample A was obtained from the brownish black cover of the sugarcane variety, sample B was made up of the inner whitish fibrous residue, while sample C was obtained from the combined mixture of the sugarcane crop. The sugarcane bagasse yield, sugarcane bagasse ash yield and the oxide compositions were determined to check for their pozzolanic characteristics. The results were then compared with the pozzolanic characteristics specified by ASTM C618-93. Though, the values obtained were lower than those specified, they could still be employed as pozzolanas, based on the high content of calcium oxide in the ashes.