Table 1 Lignocellulosic materials prepared from South African sugarcane bagasse used in this study and their appearance after milling and before pretreatment

Whole bagasse (WB)

Heterogeneous mixture of longer fibers from within the sugarcane stalk cortex (fiber), short parenchymatous particles from the vascular bundle (pith) as well as the dense non-fibrous epidermis surrounding the stalk (rind)

Depithed bagasse (DB)

Higher density, fibrous material left over after removal of pith particles by commercial depithing in an industrial process involving hammer milling of moist bagasse followed by screening

Long fiber bagasse (LFB)

Longer fibers from the cortex of sugarcane stalk with high aspect ratios; retained on the first (12-mesh) screen within a wet depithing process involving agitation using water and air followed by sieving within an automated pith–fiber separator in the laboratory

Short fiber bagasse (SFB)

Short fibers from the cortex of sugarcane stalk with moderate aspect ratios; separated by passing through the first (12-mesh) and being retained by the second (20-mesh) screen within a wet depithing process involving agitation using water and air followed by sieving within an automated pith–fiber separator in the laboratory

Pith bagasse (PB)

Small, spongy spherical particles from the vascular bundle of sugarcane stalk mixed with short bagasse fibers. Lower density, porous material; obtained by passing through the second (20-mesh) screen within a wet depithing process involving agitation using water and air followed by sieving within an automated pith–fiber separator in the laboratory