Lynne Wong's PhD thesis

Figure 3.22. Parr model 1241 adiabatic oxygen bomb calorimeter with
pellet press on the left.
3.4.4.2 Infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy
Fibres were also investigated by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy
in order to observe any structural and morphological differences.
For the infrared technique, the instrument used was a Nicolet IR spectrophotometer and
potassium bromide disc of the sample was analysed. Samples of stalk fibre and pith of four
different cane varieties aged 37, 44 and 52 weeks, and hard fibres extracted from the top,
rind, dry leaf and green leaf of the same four cane varieties aged 52 weeks were examined.
For the scanning electron microscopy, samples were mounted on an aluminium stub by
using double-sided carbon tapes, the specimens were then sputter-coated with gold in a
Polaron coating unit, and viewed in a Leo 1450 scanning electron microscope at 10 kV.
Fibres of stalk, rind, top, dry leaf and green leaf together with stalk pith of cane variety
R 575 aged 52 weeks were examined (this variety was used in the initial stages of the work
to test the various procedures).
3.5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results of the initial masses of the sugar cane parts prior to fibre extraction of the four
varieties aged 52 weeks are shown on the left hand side of Table 3.5. Since most stalks did
87