Kenaf Core Research Articles

Bio-augmentation and bio-stimulation with kenaf core enhanced bacterial enzyme activities during bio-degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in polluted soil

Indigenous micro-organisms often possess the ability to degrade petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) in polluted soil. However, this process can be improved by supplementing with nutrients or the addition of more potent microbes. In this study, the ability of kenaf-core to stimulate the PHC degradation capability of microbial isolates from PHC polluted soil samples was evaluated. The standard experimental methods used in this study include: the digestion and analysis of the physico-chemical properties of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated and non-contaminated soil samples; evaluation of petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation using bio-augmentation and bio-stimulation (with kenaf-core) treatments; and, determination of soil microbial enzyme activities. Results from this study show that K, Na, total nitrogen, organic carbon, exchangeable cations, and heavy metals were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the polluted soil than in the non-polluted soil. Also, the polluted samples had pH values ranging from 5.5 to 6.0 while the non-polluted samples had a pH of 7.6. The microbial enzyme activities were comparatively lower in the polluted soils as compared to the non-polluted soil. The percentage degradation in the kenaf-core treated samples (AZ1T2—78.38; BN3T2—70.69; OL1T2—71.06; OT1T2—70.10) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of the untreated (AZ1T1—13.50; BN3T1—12.50; OL1T1—10.55; OT1T1—9.50). The degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in the bio-augmented and bio-stimulated treatments increased with increasing time of incubation, and were higher than that of the untreated sample. Comparatively, the treatment with a combination of kenaf-core and rhamnolipid exhibited a significantly (P < 0.05) higher degradation rate than that of the treatment with only kenaf core or rhamnolipid. While, the bio-stimulated and bio-augmented treatments had appreciable microbial counts that are higher than that of the untreated. In conclusion, the nutrient-supplement with kenaf-core significantly enhanced microbial growth and activities in the soil, thus improving their ability to biodegrade petroleum hydrocarbons in the polluted soils. Thus, supplementing with Kenaf core to encourage microbiological degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon is recommended.

A Study of Physical and Mechanical Properties using Kenaf Core as Coarse Aggregate Replacement in Concrete

Kenaf is well known for its one of the highest rankings of biomass producers compared to other fibre crops which excessive amounts of biomass could lead to contamination of soil due to its pollutants elements. Not only that, the high demand for aggregate for concrete production requires massive use of natural stone materials which leads to the destruction of the ecological balance of the environment. As in Malaysia, kenaf core is commonly used and available in abundance after the processing of kenaf stems for bast fiber production. Thus, this research aims to determine the physical and mechanical properties of kenaf core as fine aggregate replacement in concrete. There were 45 samples of the concrete cube of 100 mm x 100 mm with the percentage used of 0, 5, 15 and 25 % kenaf core replacement. A density test was conducted as well as a compressive strength test to obtain the objectives of the study. Findings reveal that the control sample still has the highest value of compressive strength of 34.7 MPa while 5 % of kenaf core concrete shows 28.50 MPa which slight decrease in the value in comparison. The value then gradually decreases as the percentage of the kenaf core increases. The density test also reveals that 25 % kenaf core shows the lowest value of density by 1419.78 kg/m3 compared to normal concrete. Thus, this indicates that the optimum percentage of kenaf core used was 5 % even though it still did not surpass 0 % concrete.

Adsorption of Pb (II) Ions in Water with Natural Kenaf Beads

The purpose of this research is to study plant-based kenaf adsorbents on the adsorption of polluted Pb (II) in aqueous solutions. CHT and KNF core powder were added to the sodium alginate solution and stirred homogeneously. The blend solution was dripped into calcium chloride to form smooth magnetic KNF-CHT-ALG beads. The functional group presence in the beads and percentage adsorption of the heavy metals were checked using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Inductively Coupling Method analyses, respectively. It was found that the surface morphology of kenaf core was rougher than that of kenaf fibre, with the presence of a larger amount of micropores as observed in the FESEM analysis. In addition, the FTIR pattern of the KNF-CHT-ALG beads had shown the existence of functional groups such as hydroxyl and carboxyl, which could attract more positively charged heavy metals. The ICP analysis confirmed the successful 95% adsorption of the heavy metals. Kenaf is an abundant crop available in Malaysia that may reduce the production cost of the adsorbents. The significant outcomes of this study would be its contribution to minimising the dependency on the chemical adsorbent and to accelerating the removal process of heavy metals in real water bodies. Thus, this study aims to create a more sustainable future, especially by reaching SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

Preparation of Higher Purity Cellulose from Kenaf Core by Acid Hydrolysis

For sustainable industries based renewable biomass, secure of raw material is important. Kenaf is a good candidate with fast-growing and high biomass productvity. Acid hydrolysis treatment of kenaf woody core is capable produced high purity cellulose for fine chemical production, which was hydrolyzed hemicelluloses (mainly xylan) to monosaccharides. The effects of various reaction temperatures (110-130℃), and reaction times (60-120 min) were investigated to get the optimum condition. 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to quantitative analysis of polysaccharide composition based on hydrolzed monosaccharides analysis. The results showed that optimum conditions for acid hydrolysis treatment was 1.00N sulfuric acid, 130℃, and 60 min for higher purity cellulose production with cellulose as 50.0%, hemicellulsoe as 1.2%) and lignin as 0.3% based on raw kenaf core biomass.

The evaluation of the mechanical properties of glass, kenaf, and honeycomb fiber-reinforced composite

Abstract The development of hybrid composite materials using honeycomb structure, typically a lightweight material, is commonly used in aircraft structures. However, the use of honeycomb with natural or synthetic composite remains unexplored in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to partially replace synthetic fiber, woven glass with a natural fiber of woven kenaf and honeycomb core. An experimental analysis investigated the mechanical strength of three different compositions using glass, kenaf, and honeycomb materials for structural application purposes. The properties of the sample were evaluated through the tensile, flexural, and impact strength, and the morphological damage was observed using scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the composition of GKGKG laminate composite is the highest in tensile strength (147.64 MPa) and modulus (3.9 GPa), while the GKHKG composite was good in flexural strength (219.03 MPa) and modulus (11.47 GPa). In terms of impact properties, there was a slight difference in energy level (20–30 J) by GKGKG and GKHKG, showing the optimal hybrid configuration of composite for the newly developed material. In conclusion, the application of the new hybrid of GKHKG composite is promising in semi-structural and structural light-weight applications.

Thermal Properties of Unsaturated Polyester Reinforced Kenaf Core Fiber with Hybrid Nanofillers of Cellulose Nanocrystal and Graphene Nanoplatelet

Thermal Properties of Unsaturated Polyester Reinforced Kenaf Core Fiber with Hybrid Nanofillers of Cellulose Nanocrystal and Graphene Nanoplatelet

Utilization of Kenaf Core Fiber – Marine Clay Mixture as a Landfill Liner Material

Nowadays, leachate production is a big concern and causes a serious hazard to the soil and groundwater which causes the subsurface soil to be polluted as a result of the loss of soil quality and environmental pollution. This study aims to study the potential of using kenaf core fiber and marine clay mixtures as improved landfill liner material. Relevant laboratory tests such as atterberg limit test, specific gravity test, and particle size distribution were performed to examine basic geotechnical properties of marine clay soil collected from Batu Kawan, Penang. Besides that, compaction test and hydraulic conductivity test were carried out for soil mixed with kenaf core fiber to determine the strength and permeability characteristics. The results found that the marine clay has significantly adequate physical properties to be used as a landfill liner. The permeability test for marine clay soil inclusion of kenaf core fibre indicated that the hydraulic conductivity of the samples admixture for 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% ranged between 6.68 × 10-9 and 1.57 × 10-8 m/s. Compaction of marine clay mix kenaf core fibre samples resulted in maximum dry density, ρdmax that ranged between 0.936 and 1.595 g/cm3 and optimum moisture content, wopt that ranged between 19.8% and 24%. Hence the inclusion of kenaf core fiber in marine clay soil improves the maximum dry density value, decrease permeability of marine clay and could be potentially used for landfill liner material.

Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethyl cellulose from pineapple leaf and kenaf core biomass: a comparative study of new raw materials

Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethyl cellulose from pineapple leaf and kenaf core biomass: a comparative study of new raw materials

Mechanical and physical properties of unsaturated polyester reinforced kenaf core fiber with hybrid cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and graphene Nanoplatelet(GNP) nanofillers

In this study, the exploration of kenaf core fiber (KCF) was done by incorporating into unsaturated polyester (UPE) as to keep the environment sustain and also due to its potential properties which are good mechanical properties, low cost and importantly massively abundant. The hybridization technique also were applied with the incorporation of total loading level of 3 wt% Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) into UPE-KCF bio-composite as to support and provide better performance of UPE bio-composite. In revealing the effect of nanofillers utilization towards mechanical and physical properties of UPE-KCF bio-composite, the fabrication of UPE-KCF/CNC/GNP bio-composite were successfully done by using hand lay-up technique and hot compression moulding. The samples were characterized through tensile and flexural test for mechanical analysis and water absorption for physical analysis. Morphology characterization also was done to support the result. The results showed the incorporation of KCF had contributed for the slightly improvement in tensile modulus while both inclusion of nanofillers help the single reinforcement bio-composite to enhance flexural strength and modulus up to 48.2% and 84.21% respectively. The addition of 2 wt% GNP also positively influence physical properties showed by the least percentage of water absorption.

A comparative study on adding chopped kenaf fibers to the core of glass/epoxy laminates under quasi-static indentation: Experimental and numerical approaches

Implementation of natural fibers like kenaf in composite laminates has been the focus of many researchers. The considerable price of Low-Velocity Impact (LVI) testing, as well as the time constraints imposed by the short duration of this experiment, and prior reports of the obedience of Quasi-Static Indentation (QSI) test findings to LVI test results, have encouraged researchers to employ QSI instead of LVI. This work compares the mechanical characteristics of composite laminates consisting of chopped glass and kenaf fibers as a core and investigates the effect of hybridizing the mentioned chopped fibers as the core of a laminate. Three types of laminates with different core materials were fabricated to do this research. The results showed that among the laminates with the same weight, kenaf core laminate has the highest resistance against indentation and has the best performance in terms of absorbed energy, peak load, and damaged region. Using chopped kenaf fiber instead of chopped glass fiber can increase the absorbed energy and the peak load by 36% and 17%, respectively. Also, hybridizing the mentioned chopped fibers has not fully maximized the properties of the composite laminate during the QSI test. Finally, finite element modelling of the laminates was performed, and the numerical and experimental results were pretty aligned.

Heat transfer and friction loss of flowing kenaf core non-wood pulp fibre suspensions to curb reject papers

Heat transfer and friction loss of flowing kenaf core non-wood pulp fibre suspensions to curb reject papers

Response surface optimisation for highly efficient removal of 17α-ethinylestradiol by novel kenaf core modification in aqueous solution

Response surface optimisation for highly efficient removal of 17α-ethinylestradiol by novel kenaf core modification in aqueous solution

Failure mechanisms of kenaf/glass sandwich laminates subjected to low velocity impact loading

Stacking sequences of composite laminates have significant effects not only on the properties of composites but also on the types of damage occurred on the composites structure. The current study investigated the low velocity impact properties and the damage progression of kenaf core sandwich laminates in different layering sequence of fibre laminates. There were three different sequences of kenaf (K) and glass (G) fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites, that is, G/K/G hybrid, G/K/K hybrid and K/K/K composites, which were fabricated using hand lay-up method. The layer of gelcoat provided a protective layer and finishing to the composite. The composites experienced the low velocity impact at three different energy levels which were 5 J, 10 J and 15 J. Through the research, a diamond shape matrix cracking was exhibited on the gelcoat surface. The main failure mode that occurred on the specimen during the low velocity impact was matrix cracking, fibre breakage, delamination and fibre pulled-out. From the results, G/K/G hybrid resisted the highest impact energy which is up to 10 J and G/K/K hybrid resisted up to 5 J. Meanwhile K/K/K composite failed to resist any of designated energy. Therefore, it can be suggested that G/K/G hybrid composites had shown good performance in low velocity impact properties to be used as the bus bumper material.

Isothermal crystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of PLA/Kenaf biocomposite: Comparison between alkaline treated kenaf core and bast reinforcement

Crystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of alkaline treated kenaf core and bast fibres as reinforcement in PLA composites were investigated. The crystallization rate and the percentage of crystallinity values were comparable in both samples, where the values were found to be 1.239 and 49.46% for KCC and 1.119 and 47.28% for KBC, respectively. The addition of kenaf fibre revealed the same reduction of the Avrami index at around 13% for both KBC and KCC indicating that the addition of fibre promotes growth in less spatial dimensions. The improvement on kinetics properties was supported by flexural testing that showed that there is no significant difference in flexural modulus and flexural strength between Kenaf core composite (KCC) and Kenaf bast composite (KBC). These findings shed a light on the potential utilization of kenaf core fibre as filler in matrix composite.

Evaluation of physically modified kenaf core adsorbent for carbon dioxide adsorptive study

Abstract This paper evaluates on the capability of kenaf core (Hibiscus CannabinusL.) material as the proposed solid adsorbent for CO2 adsorption study via physical treatment modification. The proposed physical treatment was successfully conducted by undergoing two stages of carbonization and activation treatment to improve the pore development structure of the material. The carbonized kenaf core (CKC) was prepared by carbonizing the raw kenaf core (RKC) at 800°C with constant nitrogen flow for 5 hours. Activation process took placed by impregnating KOH in the furnace with alternately switching to CO2 up to 800C for 2 hours. The morphological and structural characterization studies were conducted using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The CO2 adsorption process was carried in the gravimetric analyzer by varying the effect of bed pressure and gas flowrate. This study revealed that the AKC has the highest CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.70 mmol/g (1 bar) and 2.85 mmol/g (30 bar). Based on the morphology, AKC demonstrated better small micropore development that helps in providing a larger adsorption site; hence attributes to the higher CO2 adsorption capacity. This study contributes to the development of knowledge on enhancing the CO2 adsorption on the physically-modified kenaf core material that would be used as an alternative material for CO2 adsorbent.

Green Kenaf-Based Adsorbent for Adsorption of Pb (II) Ions in Water

Excessive toxic metals are commonly found in polluted water bodies. This study aimed to synthesise kenaf-based adsorbents for the adsorption of lead (II) ions. The physical and chemical characteristics of the kenaf (KNF) core and fibre were determined using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The further synthesised kenaf-chitosan-alginate (KNF-CHT-ALG) beads were characterised through FESEM and FTIR, while inductively coupled plasma (ICP) was employed to determine the percentage of adsorption. The FESEM analysis demonstrated that the KNF core had a rougher surface morphology than the KNF fibre. The TGA analysis confirmed that the KNF core was coarser and contained a higher residue of approximately 75.91%. The FTIR spectra established intense functional groups in the KNF core, such as hydroxyl and carboxyl, attracting more Pb (II) ions. The KNF core was then used to synthesise KNF-CHT-ALG beads. The beads confirmed the enhancement in surface morphology and the existence of numerous functional groups for Pb (II) ions to bind. The ICP analysis demonstrated 95% of Pb (II) ion adsorption. Additionally, batch adsorption experiments were conducted at pH 2–7 and the contact time was within 5–60 minutes. The kinetic study of the adsorption followed the pseudo-second order model with an R2 value of 0.9999. The KNF is a crop found in abundance in Malaysia, which could reduce the production cost of adsorbents. The significant outcomes would minimise the dependency on chemical adsorbents and accelerate the removal process of heavy metals in natural bodies of water.

Thermal Conductivity Performance of Kenaf Core - Quarry Dust Brick (KCQB)

Rapid development has led to increasing demand for sand, which is the main source of sand brick and other construction purposes. High demand and environmental issues contribute to the shortage of resources and continuous increase in the cost of the material. In order to overcome this matter, there is a need for replacement materials as alternative resources for fine aggregate. In Malaysia, a renewable resource from biomass that can easily be converted to aggregate material is the woody part of kenaf. It is commonly called kenaf core and is available in abundance after the processing of kenaf stem for bast fiber production. The investigations cover thermal conductivity, compressive strength, density, and porosity of Kenaf Core Quarry Dust Bricks (KCQB). Nine (9) types of samples of bricks, plates, and brick wall were prepared by varying the kenaf core contents. M1, M2, M3, and M4 were used as control samples while M5, M6, M7, M8, and M9 were variable samples with different percentages of kenaf core from 5% to 25%. Quarry dust was fixed at 75% for every variable mix and the balance of 25% sand was replaced by kenaf core at 5% intervals, respectively, until the portion of sand was zero. Based on all properties studied, it is found that the addition of kenaf core affected the thermal conductivity, density, porosity, and compressive strength value. Based on all the properties studied, the addition of kenaf core affected the compressive strength, density, porosity, and thermal conductivity. The compressive strength and density decreased as the kenaf core increased. However, the inclusion of kenaf core resulted in higher porosity. Meanwhile, the addition of a kenaf core from 5% to 25% as sand replacement improved the thermal conductivity values from 0.63 W/m•K to 0.42 W/m•K.

A review on oil spill clean-up using bio-sorbent materials with special emphasis on utilization of kenaf core fibers

Thousands of oil spill incidents regrettably have occurred on a daily basis around the globe. Oil spills are a form of pollution that poses major catastrophic threats to marine ecosystems. Oil spill incidents commonly occur in the middle of the ocean, and the process to remove the oil becomes a great challenge. Absorbents, due to their good oil-absorbing characteristics, are becoming more popular nowadays as one of the effective oil spill clean-up methods. Among the many types of oil absorbents, plant fibers were also being studied to remove the oil spills from the sea surface. This paper reviews factors leading to oil spills, the detrimental effect of the oil spill on the environment, the oil spill removal methods, and the application of plant fibers as oil absorbent material. The paper also will highlight the latest development on the utilization of kenaf core fibers as oil-absorbent material and the use of oil absorbed kenaf core fibers as fuel briquette by taking advantage the high calorific value of the oil spill.

A review on oil spill clean-up using bio-sorbent materials with special emphasis on utilization of kenaf core fibers

Thousands of oil spill incidents regrettably have occurred on a daily basis around the globe. Oil spills are a form of pollution that poses major catastrophic threats to marine ecosystems. Oil spill incidents commonly occur in the middle of the ocean, and the process to remove the oil becomes a great challenge. Absorbents, due to their good oil-absorbing characteristics, are becoming more popular nowadays as one of the effective oil spill clean-up methods. Among the many types of oil absorbents, plant fibers were also being studied to remove the oil spills from the sea surface. This paper reviews factors leading to oil spills, the detrimental effect of the oil spill on the environment, the oil spill removal methods, and the application of plant fibers as oil absorbent material. The paper also will highlight the latest development on the utilization of kenaf core fibers as oil-absorbent material and the use of oil absorbed kenaf core fibers as fuel briquette by taking advantage the high calorific value of the oil spill.

Physical Properties of Cement-Sand Brick Made by Kenaf Core: Discovering the Optimal Formulation

In this study, the effect of replacing the river sand with industrial waste and cellulosic waste was investigated. The cellulosic waste use in this study only focuses on kenaf core, while the industrial waste use in this study is quarry dust. The fine aggregate formulation is adjusted with a different percentage of kenaf core. While the quarry dust is fixed at 50% replacement level. The water-cement ratio set for the formulation is 0.75, and the cement-sand ratio fixes at 1:8. The physical properties are measured through compressive strength and density at 28 days. The result shows that 10% is the maximum replacement of sand with kenaf core to produced brick that using 50% of quarry dust. The compressive strength value of the 10% of kenaf core at 28 days is 8.16 N/mm2 while for density is 1830 kg/m3 at 28 days. All the result shows that kenaf core has the potential to be used as a lightweight fine aggregate. But kenaf core needs to combine with other materials that contribute to the strength.