Bagasse moisture determination by microwave drying

The current method of determining the moisture content of bagasse is a time consuming process. It requires samples of the bagasse to be dried in draughted hot air ovens, a process which generally requires several hours. Microwave ovens offer a means of rapid heating which could potentially be utilised in the drying the bagasse samples. This paper describes investigations carried out in an attempt to develop an automated system for the drying of bagasse samples using a microwave oven.