[ABSTRAK
Deposit ampas tebu di Indonesia yang mencapai 8,5 juta ton per tahun menjadikan biomassa ini potensial untuk dikembangkan sebagai sumber energi alternatif. Perbaikan sifat ampas tebu sebagai bahan bakar padat dilakukan dengan torefaksi, yaitu proses pretreatment termokimia terhadap biomassa yang dilakukan pada suhu 200?300oC, tekanan atmosfer, dan lingkungan yang inert. Ampas tebu ditorefaksi sampai suhu 275oC dengan variasi laju pemanasan sebesar 3, 6, dan 10oC/menit dan variasi waktu penahanan suhu selama 0 dan 15 menit. Analisis yang dilakukan untuk mengetahui karakteristik fisik ampas tebu adalah kandungan lignoselulosa, distribusi ukuran partikel, sifat hidrofobik, dan kekerasan pellet. Kenaikan laju pemanasan dan waktu penahanan suhu mengurangi kandungan hemiselulosa ampas tebu sampai di bawah 6% dan menaikkan kandungan ligninnya sampai di atas 83%. Seiring peningkatan kandungan lignin, kekerasan pellet ampas tebu juga meningkat, yaitu sampai 29,22 pada skala durometer Shore D. Seiring penurunan kandungan hemiselulosa, ampas tebu bersifat lebih mudah dihancurkan dan hidrofobik. Distribusi partikel yang berukuran lebih kecil dari 105 μm pada ampas tebu yang ditorefaksi adalah sebanyak 67%, sedangkan pada ampas tebu yang tidak ditorefaksi hanya 0,62%. Penyerapan air oleh ampas tebu yang ditorefaksi hanya sebanyak 1,3%, sedangkan pada ampas tebu yang tidak ditorefaksi sampai 8,02%. Hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa torefaksi dapat memperbaiki karakteristik fisik ampas tebu.

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ABSTRACT
Sugarcane bagasse waste in Indonesia reaching 8.5 million tons per year is potential to be developed as an alternative energy source. Torrefaction, which is used to improve the properties of sugarcane bagasse as a solid fuel, is a thermochemical pretreatment of biomass carried out at a temperature of 200?300oC, atmospheric pressure, and inert environment. Sugarcane bagasse is torrefied at 275oC with the heating rate variation of 3, 6, and 10oC/minute and hold time variation of 0 and 15 minutes. Characterizations conducted to determine the physical characteristics of sugarcane bagasse are lignocellulosic content, particle size distribution, hydrophobicity, and pellet hardness. The increasing heating rate and hold time will reduce the hemicellulose content of sugarcane baggase to lower than wt-6% and increase the lignin content to higher than wt-83%. As the lignin content increases, the sugarcane bagasse pellet will have better hardness, i.e. 29.22 on a durometer Shore D scale. As the hemicellulose content increases, sugarcane bagasse will have better particle size distribution and stronger hydrophobic tendency. The particle size distribution of torrefied sugarcane bagasse which is smaller than 105 μm is wt-67% while only wt-0.62% in untorrefied sugarcane bagasse. The water absorbtion of torrefied sugarcane bagasse is wt-1.3% while wt-8.02% in untorrefied sugarcane bagasse. The results indicate;Sugarcane bagasse waste in Indonesia reaching 8.5 million tons per year is potential to be developed as an alternative energy source. Torrefaction, which is used to improve the properties of sugarcane bagasse as a solid fuel, is a thermochemical pretreatment of biomass carried out at a temperature of 200?300oC, atmospheric pressure, and inert environment. Sugarcane bagasse is torrefied at 275oC with the heating rate variation of 3, 6, and 10oC/minute and hold time variation of 0 and 15 minutes. Characterizations conducted to determine the physical characteristics of sugarcane bagasse are lignocellulosic content, particle size distribution, hydrophobicity, and pellet hardness. The increasing heating rate and hold time will reduce the hemicellulose content of sugarcane baggase to lower than wt-6% and increase the lignin content to higher than wt-83%. As the lignin content increases, the sugarcane bagasse pellet will have better hardness, i.e. 29.22 on a durometer Shore D scale. As the hemicellulose content increases, sugarcane bagasse will have better particle size distribution and stronger hydrophobic tendency. The particle size distribution of torrefied sugarcane bagasse which is smaller than 105 μm is wt-67% while only wt-0.62% in untorrefied sugarcane bagasse. The water absorbtion of torrefied sugarcane bagasse is wt-1.3% while wt-8.02% in untorrefied sugarcane bagasse. The results indicate, Sugarcane bagasse waste in Indonesia reaching 8.5 million tons per year is potential to be developed as an alternative energy source. Torrefaction, which is used to improve the properties of sugarcane bagasse as a solid fuel, is a thermochemical pretreatment of biomass carried out at a temperature of 200–300oC, atmospheric pressure, and inert environment. Sugarcane bagasse is torrefied at 275oC with the heating rate variation of 3, 6, and 10oC/minute and hold time variation of 0 and 15 minutes. Characterizations conducted to determine the physical characteristics of sugarcane bagasse are lignocellulosic content, particle size distribution, hydrophobicity, and pellet hardness. The increasing heating rate and hold time will reduce the hemicellulose content of sugarcane baggase to lower than wt-6% and increase the lignin content to higher than wt-83%. As the lignin content increases, the sugarcane bagasse pellet will have better hardness, i.e. 29.22 on a durometer Shore D scale. As the hemicellulose content increases, sugarcane bagasse will have better particle size distribution and stronger hydrophobic tendency. The particle size distribution of torrefied sugarcane bagasse which is smaller than 105 μm is wt-67% while only wt-0.62% in untorrefied sugarcane bagasse. The water absorbtion of torrefied sugarcane bagasse is wt-1.3% while wt-8.02% in untorrefied sugarcane bagasse. The results indicate]