This study sought to quantify and characterize cassava waste as fuel. The wastes from three cultivars
were collected to study and were divided into three distinct parts of the cassava plant: seed stem, thick
stalks, and thin stalks. Physical and chemical analyzes were carried out to determine the elemental
composition of the waste: volatile matter; fixed carbon; ash; moisture; lignin; cellulose; hemicellulose;
ash composition and higher heating value were determined. We conducted a thermogravimetric analysis
in oxidizing and inert atmospheres to study the behavior of the waste as fuel. The root productivity
obtained ranged from 7.7 to 13.0 t ha1 yr1 on a dry basis (db), and the ratio between waste and roots
varied from 0.36 to 0.91. The physical and chemical properties of cassava waste are analogous to those of
woody biomass regarding the elemental composition, the higher heating value, and thermogravimetric
analysis. Ash content varied from 2.5% to 3.5%, reaching around 6.0% in samples unwashed. Approximately
60% of the ashes are alkali oxides, especially P2O5, K2O, and CaO, which have low melting points.
The alkali index calculated suggests that there is a strong tendency that the combustion process leads to
ash fouling and the formation of ash deposits