BAGASSE From Sugar Cane, Once Waste, Now Is Valuable in Industry

Bagasse is that part of sugar-cane stalks remaining after the sugar-bearing juice has been removed. It consists largely of fiber and pith, and it emerges from the mill it carries from 45 to 52 per cent of water.  After partial drying, the material affords a satisfactory fuel for sugar-factory use, and until comparatively recent years this was the only purpose for which it was used. However, the quantity produced in the United States was greatly in excess of the quantity used for fuel, and the remaining portion represented a purely waste product, the disposal of which was a constant problem that was usually solved by wasteful burning.

Numerous attempts had been made to utilize this material, but it was not until about 1921 that a process was developed for successfully utilizing it for the manufacture of a lumber substitute.  The rapid expansion of this industry created a demand for bagasse that resulted in this hitherto waste product becoming a valuable raw material. In fact, during 1925 to 1927 the low yields of sugar cane in Louisiana resulted in such limited production of bagasse that its use for fuel was largely discontinued, many of the factories turning to the use of other fuels and selling all of their bagasse at a profitable price.

The introduction of new, disease-resistant varieties of sugar cane has greatly stimulated the industry, these new varieties being grown on approximately 135,000 acres in 1927-28, while the acreage for 1928-29 may reach 250,000. Production of bagasse varies, depending upon production of cane and other factors; but a conservative estimate of the bagasse that may be produced from 250,000 acres is 1,125,000 tons of wet or 563,000 tons of dry material. The production of this huge quantity will undoubtedly result in the resumption of its use for fuel, but it is hardly probable that the part not so used will again become a worthless waste product.

Tn addition to the above-mentioned uses, bagasse may be used as an ingredient of cattle feeds, as an absorbent in the manufacture of explosives, and for the manufacture of a coarse grade of paper, while suggested commercial possibilities include its use in the manufacture of artificial silk and in the production of alcohol.