Thermochemical characterisation of agricultural biomass wastes from West African region has been
carried out and their potential use as feedstock in thermochemical conversion processes determined.
Proximate, ultimate, structural compositions, calorific values, thermogravimetry (TGA) and derivative
thermogravimetry (DTG) analyses were carried out on corn straw and cobs, rice straw and husks, cocoa
pod, jatropha curcas and moringa olifiera seed cakes, parinari polyandra fruit shell and sugarcane bagasse.
Moringa olifiera seed cakes and cocoa pods were found to contain the highest moisture contents. Rice
straw was found to contain a high ash content of 45.76 wt.%. The level of nitrogen and sulphur in all
the samples were very low. Rice husk was found to have the highest lignin contents while corn cob low
lignin contents indicate a potential feedstock source for quality bio-oil production using thermochemical
process.