Thermal Decomposition of Camel Grass and Lemon Grass
Amina Musa Rabe *
Department of Biological Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Bashar Ladan Aliero
Department of Biological Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Ahmad Galadima
Department of Microbiology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Aliyu Sarki Baqi
Department of Microbiology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In this research, the combustion of two grass species (Cymbopogon schoenanthus and Cymbopogon citratus) was analyzed under thermogravimetric analysis; which is a common way for energy source at the different heating temperature of 20ºC/minute intervals from ambient temperature to a heating temperature of 600ºC. The results show that in camel grass the active temperature for the degradation was 392.74ºC which is the active heating range for the decomposition of the grass sample. The thermo-gravimetric temperature at 339ºC shows the highest degradation activity when compared to the first and second phase of the analysis. While in lemongrass the active temperature was 323-480ºC with the highest weight loss of 35.26–36.18%. This analysis shows the thermal decompositions of the plant biomass used, it fuel potentiality and highest temperature for the decomposition of the biomass.
Keywords: Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), decompositiondecomposition, Cymbopogon schoenanthus and Cymbopogon citrates