Classifying selected root crops for biomass through proximate analysis and high pressure liquid chromotography

There is currently no standard set of analytical procedures for classifying potential biomass materials as renewable alternative fuel sources. The objective of this work is to study the peel and inner structure of cassava, sweet potato and sugar beet for the creation of a biomass material index for determining a materials thermochemical and biochemical biomass potential. Proximate analysis, Higher Heating Value (HHV), hydrochloric (HCL) acid hydrolysis, and High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) sugar testing were conducted to analyze the moisture content (MO), ash content (ASH), volatile matter (VM), fixed carbon (FC), carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), glucose, fructose and sucrose composition in selected root crops. During HPLC sugar testing of glucose, fructose and sucrose using a calcium (Ca) ion column, a problem occurred with the potassium phosphate (KH2PO4) buffer while neutralizing the hydrolysate to a 7 to 7.99 pH that resulted in peak fronting and a combined curve double. Calcium chloride (CaCl2), calcium nitrate (Ca[NO3] 2), and calcium sulfate (CaSO4) buffers were considered for neutralizing possibilities that resulted in a maximum pH of 3. The inner structure and peel of cassava, sweet potato, and sugar beet for biochemical processes remains untested. All root crop materials tested would not be recommended for thermochemical biomass processing. Sugar beet inner structure may be considered upon the small 0.28% acceptable range difference.