Mass balance of pilot-scale pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse by steam explosion followed by alkaline delignification

► The mass balance showed effective for quantify of the components of bagasse. ► Eighty-two percent of the pentosan and 100% of the acetyl group were solubilised during pretreatment. ► Ninty-one percent of the lignin was solubilised by delignification process. ► Most of 90% of the cellulose was recovered in the delignification process. ► Fourteen percent of lignin, 22% of cellulose and 26% of pentosans were lost in the global process.