Oil Palm Fiber Research Articles

A Comprehensive Review on Oil Palm Fibre Implementations in Medical Sector

Objective. Reviewing oil palm fibre (OPF) utilisation in various medical sectors. Background. The OPF, especially in nanocellulose form, is frequently used due to its exceptional mechanical attributes, considerable surface area, versatility for surface functionalisation, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity. Method. Only articles published in the last ten years (2012-2022) and written in English were reviewed in this study. An electronic search was conducted in Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed using the terms “oil palm fibres in the medical field” and “oil palm fibre.” Results. Among the 459 articles obtained, only 24 were accessible as full text and satisfied the parameters set in this study. Conclusion. The OPF could be widely employed in the medical domain, particularly the biomedical branch, for drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound dressing, and antimicrobial agent transporters. The substance also demonstrated promising results and significant capacities to be utilised and further studied.

Towards Electricity from the Combustion of Agricultural Waste in Boilers with Low CO2 Emissions

To meet the growing energy needs of the world’s population, international governments have turned to biomass energy from agricultural waste as a form of renewable energy. To this end, this study is based on the experimental and practical determination of certain physicochemical properties of three agricultural residues (cocoa cortex, oil palm fibres and sugar cane bagasse) using approximate and structural analysis methods. Then, using a METERK electronic detector, the small quantities of CO2 emitted during combustion in 0.5 g boilers of each of these waste products used to produce energy (heat and/or electricity) were determined. The gross and net calorific values of these biomasses were also determined. Here are some of the results obtained for these three agricultural residues: variable moisture content (from 3.6% to 43.12%), variable organic matter content (from 76.12% to 90.31%), cellulose content (from 32.74% to 55.91%), lignin content (from 8.26% to 27.05%), variable net calorific values (from 6.581 kWh/kg to 10.461 kWh/kg) and low CO2 gas emissions (from 439 ppm to 447 ppm). This proves that these three agricultural residues are very good potential sources of energy that can be used as fuel in boilers to produce large quantities of heat that can be converted into electricity by turbines connected to alternators using electromagnetic induction phenomena. Finally, this work provides credible information for public and private decision-makers in the field of electricity production from the combustion of these agricultural residues in boilers.

Optimal sites for agricultural and forest residues energy conversion plant using geographic information system

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has committed to net-zero emission development pathways to respond to the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015. However, the country is in dire need of energy to support its developmental ambitions. Therefore, it is necessary to consider green energy technologies to support both socioeconomic development and to meet the FGN's emission reduction target. In view of this, the current work presents the optimal sites for bioenergy plants in a state in Nigeria using Geographic Information System (GIS). Key findings suggest that 62.03 PJ/yr and 4.12 PJ/yr of energy could be derived from crop residues and forest residues, respectively, to support the state's bioenergy development. The crop residues considered include plantain (stem), oil palm (shell and fibre), maize (stalks) and cassava (peel and stalks). Six criteria were used in selecting the optimal sites, and include biomass residue distribution, settlement, road accessibility, nearness to waterline, slope and aspect. These criteria were incorporated into the ArcGIS platform through the weighted overlay tool. Strategically, the analysis presents seven sites for biomass plants to sustainably meet part of the energy needs. The efforts of the current work which supports not less than three SDGs–SDG 7 (Clean and Affordable Energy), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), will assist policymakers in Nigeria to make appropriate policies within the climate change space.

Effectiveness of oil palm fiber and surface treatments on the mechanical, thermal, morphological, and water absorption properties of wheat gluten composites

AbstractThis work aims to enhance the mechanical properties and water resistance of wheat gluten (WG)‐based bioplastic with the addition of oil palm fiber (OPF) and surface treatments. Due to the porous surface of OPF, alkali treatment enhanced its surface area and roughness. Alkali pretreatment effect on silane efficiency was investigated using different surface treatment methods: alkali treatment, silane treatment, and silane treatment with alkali pretreatment. Neat WG and WG/OPF composites were prepared by compounding with an internal mixer and forming them with a compression molding machine. Tensile and impact testing, scanning electron microscopy, water absorption, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to assess the effects of OPF content and surface treatment methods. The results suggested that the tensile modulus and strength, impact strength, and glass transition temperature of WG composites tended to increase with increasing OPF content, whereas the decomposition temperature slightly changed. OPF improved the brittle and water resistance being disadvantages of WG. The most efficient surface treatment methods are 5 wt% silane treatment and 3 wt% silane with alkali pretreatment. This indicated that the increases in surface roughness and area of OPF after alkali pretreatment enhanced the silane efficiency and reduced the dosage of silane used.

Conversion of Recycled Palm Oil and Water Hyacinth Fiber into Polyurethane Composite Foam—Noise Reduction Media in Oxygen Concentrator Machine

Conversion of Recycled Palm Oil and Water Hyacinth Fiber into Polyurethane Composite Foam—Noise Reduction Media in Oxygen Concentrator Machine

PERFORMANCE OF WOOD COMPOSITES WITH NATURAL FIBER AS SOUND ABSORBER OF BUILDING MATERIALS

Natural fibers are an alternative to reduce the use of synthetic materials in acoustic products. Such fibers have the benefits of being inexpensive, environmentally benign, biodegradable, and safe for human health. The influence on sound absorption coefficient of different natural fibers including rubberwood, coconut coir, and oil palm empty fruit bunches was investigated. The samples were composed of three kinds of natural fibers, three different fiber sizes, and two different kinds of adhesives. The porosity values of the samples were found in the range of 4.58-8.84% whereas the lowest water absorption value was found on the sample with rubberwood fiber in the range of 57.62-127.83%. Impedance tube testing was used for the sound absorption tests following ISO 10534-2. The experimental result revealed that the natural fibers have good performance associated with the fiber length. The longer fiber performs the better sound absorption than that of the short fiber. All kinds of natural fiber plates tested had sound absorption of 50% above 3.5 kHz whereas the oil palm fiber gave the highest absorption coefficient at 95%. The fiber size fraction approved that those fibers could improve the peak values of sound absorption. The small fiber size gave higher peak values than that of the large fiber size. The type of adhesive influences sound absorption coefficient on the sample with small fiber size (80 mesh) than that of the large fiber size (40 mesh). The output of this study reveals the waste plant fibers could adopt to develop sound absorber building materials.

Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus on agricultural wastes and effects on nutritional composition of the fruiting body

ABSTRACT Little interest has been shown in studies related to the effects of cultivating Pleurotus ostreatus on agricultural wastes and their impacts on nutritional value and biological efficiency of the fruiting body. Oil palm fiber, rice husk, sawdust from hardwood, guinea grass, bean pods and rice straw were collected in dried form and used as substrates. Active mycelium of P. ostreatus was used in preparation of spawn, and growth was observed after 30 days following inoculation and fruiting bodies were harvested for analysis. The proximate composition of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash, moisture, dry matter and carbohydrate composition; antioxidant properties from flavonoids, phenol, lycopene, beta carotene, and ascorbic acid and composition of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn and Zn varied across substrates. All cultivated P. ostreatus on substrates contained high amounts of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash, moisture, dry matter and carbohydrate, flavonoid, phenol, lycopene, beta carotene, and ascorbic acid, and mineral ions such as Na, K, P, N and Ca. Dry weight and biological efficiency were highest in P. ostreatus cultivated on rice straw, followed by bean pods. Pleurotus ostreatus grown on substrates used contained high amounts of nutrients. Rice straw and bean pods may be used to achieve high nutritional composition and antioxidant contents in P. ostreatus mushrooms.

Surpassing 2D Photoabsorbers with Palm Fiber Upcycling as Highly Hydrophilic and Low-Cost Photothermal Materials for Improved Water Transport Interfacial Solar Steam Generation

Solar steam generation (SSG) has been proposed in the recent years as one of the countermeasures for solving the increasing risk of water scarcity on a global scale. SSG outshines conventional water treatment technologies with solar energy being its primary driving energy as well as its relatively simple system design. Nevertheless, challenges have been addressed for SSG, particularly the low efficiency of steam generation and dubious economic feasibility. In this study, a solar evaporator consisting of low-temperature carbonized oil palm fibers with integration of polydopamine is used to construct a biomass-based solar evaporator. Owing to the synergistic effect of the wide solar absorption spectrum of the carbonized fiber and highly hydrophilic characteristics of polydopamine, a water evaporation rate of 1.637 kg m–2 h–1 is achieved under 1 sun irradiation. To demonstrate the ability of the as-designed system for water treatment applications, actual lake water and seawater are employed as water reservoirs, and the water purification effect is assessed in terms of total dissolved solids and salinity. This biomass-derived evaporator offers a design rationale for cost-effective steam generation via biomass waste upcycling of the oil palm industry, which is advantageous for the scalable setup of the system in water-scarce, impoverished area.

Isolation and characterization of effective microorganisms from palm oil sludge for enhancement of spent bio-adsorbents from aquaculture wastewater treatment

A total of 4 bacterial (Bacillus sp., Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomonas tuomuerensis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and 2 fungal (Talaromyces oumae-annae and Meira sp.) isolates were discovered to have high potential for solubilizing insoluble phosphate, producing IAA, and fixing atmospheric nitrogen. However, only one of the selected fungal isolates was shown to be a potassium solubilizer. The antagonistic test showed that P. aeruginosa was inhibitory against T. oumae-annae. The oil palm fiber (OPF) biochars in this study were produced by two different methods: under a continuous flow of compressed air and in the presence of nitrogen gas. The OPF biochars were then mixed with 10 ppm ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) for an adsorption test, and the products were labeled as air-spent OPF biochar and N2-spent OPF biochar, respectively. When B. pumilus was inoculated to these biochars, the CFU number for N2-spent OPF biochar increased threefold. However, there was no CFU recovered from the air-spent OPF biochar. In scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, the cells of B. pumilus were observed to be localized on both the surface and interior of the biochar particles. These results conclude that the microbial isolates from the palm oil sludge samples are potential plant growth-promoting microbes, and the N2-spent OPF biochar was demonstrated to be a good carrier material in housing and supporting the growth of the test bacteria.

Incorporation of Rubber Waste to Fiber Cement Composite: Comparative Study of Rubber Tire Waste and Rubber Band Waste

This study compares the effects of rubber tire waste and rubber band waste on physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of cement composite for roofing application. The rubber particles, prepared from waste rubber tire (RT) and/or calcium carbonate filled rubber band (RB), were mixed with cement paste and tested for workability and flexural strength. It was found that RT yields higher workability than RB when mixed with the cement paste. The rubber-cement composites (CR) with the combination of RT and RB at the RT:RB volume fraction of 1.00:0.00 (CRT), 0.75:0.25 (CRT.75/B.25) and 0.50:0.50 (CRT.50/B.50) have sufficient workability and flexural strength. When mixing different rubber particles with oil palm fibers and the cement paste to obtain CFRT, CFRT.75/B.25, CFRT.50/B.50 rubber-fiber-cement composites, the composites with higher RT content have higher flexural strength, while those with higher RB content have lower thermal conductivity, implying better thermal insulation property. More importantly, all three types of rubber-fiber-cement composites yield excellent thermal insulation property, and meet the flexural strength required by the industrial standard for the fiber-cement roof tile sheets. The results suggest that the waste rubber-waste oil palm fiber-cement composites can be viable candidates for roofing application with promising potential for energy saving.

Potential of Palm Oil Fuel Ash as a Partial Replacement of Fine Aggregates for Improved Fresh and Hardened Mortar Performance

The growth of Malaysia has caused many industries to grow rapidly, especially construction industries due to the demand for more homes, buildings, and infrastructure. The production of concrete and mortar is highly requested. Therefore, the demand for fine aggregate becomes higher because fine aggregate is one of the main elements in concrete and mortar production. The high demand for fine aggregates will create a worrying situation where the fine aggregate crisis will worsen. An alternative was introduced to replace the fine aggregate known as palm oil fuel ash (POFA) in order to reduce the use of natural resources such as fine aggregates and lead to the reduction of fine aggregate mining activity. POFA produced from palm oil fibre, palm oil shell, and mesocarp at high temperature has no benefits in the commercial return. Thus, POFA that has accumulated in landfill has the ability to create environmental pollution. Due to the pozzolanic behaviour of POFA, it could be relevant when POFA is used in the production of mortar as a partially fine aggregate replacement. There is a limited study on the effects of POFA as a partially fine aggregate replacement in the production of mortar. The aim of this research is to study the effects of POFA on the workability of fresh mortar, and for the hardened mortar, compressive strength and microstructural analysis will be analysed. A total of 45 cubes with dimensions of 100 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm were cast at different percentages of POFA at 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% by the weight of fine aggregates. Slump and flow table tests were conducted during the casting process to determine the workability. All the specimens were water cured at days 3, 7, and 28 before being tested with a compression test and scanning electron microscope (SEM) on the hardened mortar. It was discovered that 0% POFA recorded the highest workability. Furthermore, the laboratory results showed that the 2.5% POFA in the mortar recorded the highest compressive strength compared to other specimens. Moreover, the microstructure of the mortar specimen was observed to be denser, and the pores were refined with the presence of POFA, compared to the control specimen. Based on the findings, this research enables us to give an understanding of the effect of POFA incorporated in mortar as a partially fine aggregate replacement in terms of workability, compressive strength, and microstructural analysis. Based on the results from this research, the advantage of POFA can be fully utilized and can help reduce the environmental problems.

Mechanical, thermal and physical characteristics of oil palm (Elaeis Guineensis) fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites for FDM – Type 3D printer

Currently, many studies of fused deposition modeling (FDM) focus on the development of new composite materials. For this reason, in order to enhance the quality of the printed parts, it is crucial to study the properties of a newly developed material for FDM. This study aims to investigate the effect of fiber on the mechanical, thermal, and physical characteristics of thermoplastic composites reinforced with oil palm fiber. The samples were characterized using mechanical and physical testing, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show the 3 wt% fiber composite had slightly higher tensile strength and modulus than plain ABS. Unfortunately, as oil palm fiber loading increased from 0 to 7 wt%, flexural strength results showed a declining trend, and the opposite happened for modulus values. Additionally, after the fiber was added, the thermal stability improved and intermolecular hydrogen bonding increased. A composite sample became more resistant to moisture when more fibers were added. 7 wt% oil palm fiber composite showed better dimension stability than 3 and 5 wt%, according to a thickness swelling test. As a result, oil palm fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites have improved mechanical, physical, and physical properties by adding fiber into ABS matrix.

Aerobic-anaerobic composting in oil palm factory with bunker system

Oil palm biomass, which includes fronds of oil palm leaves, oil palm fiber and palm kernel shells, empty fruit bunches, liquid waste from oil palm, and other mill wastes, can pose significant environmental hazards. Solid waste and liquid waste have the highest potential for composting. As a result, the goal of this study is to determine the composting features of aerobic-anaerobic systems in palm oil mill bunkers. The research was conducted at PT Eastern Sumatra Indonesia, Bukit Maraja POM, Simalungun Regency, with samples evaluated at Medan's Socfindo Laboratory and Bogor's Center for Research and Development of Biotechnology and Agricultural Genetic Resources. The data acquired in Farm Manager's PLC (Process Logic Control) system was evaluated visually, as were the results of compost qualities from the aerobic-anaerobic system in bunker. Compost made from empty fruit bunches (EFB) via aerobic and anaerobic processes has varied characteristics. The major nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and pH of anaerobic compost are greater than those produced by aerobic compost in bunker. Composting in an aerobic system may suppress the generation of Methane (CH4) gas until it is undetected, however composting in an anaerobic system can detect a high level of Methane (CH4) gas formation.
 
 Keywords: aerobic, anaerobic, bunker system, composting, oil palm

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Agricultural Residues (Cocoa Cortex, Sugarcane Bagasse and Oil Palm Fiber) for Power Generation in Boilers through Fuel Combustion

Abstract Among the renewable energy resources available is biomass from agricultural waste. Herein, we propose 3 agricultural waste products (cocoa cortex, oil palm fiber and sugarcane bagasse. The environmental and energy performance of agr icultural waste used as fuel to produce 1 kWh of electr icity each in Ivory Coast was studied using the Life Cycle Assessment method. LAM is a method of environmental evaluation. It evaluates the environmental impact of a product over its entire life cycle, the life cycle of each of these 3 agricultural wastes is made up of collection, transport to the electricity production site and combustion of these biomasses hi the boilers of the cogeneration units. The results are as follows: In terms of global wanning impacts, for these 3 waste products (cocoa cortex, oil palm fiber and sugarcane bagasse) respectively (0.12; 0.16 and 0.19) kg CO2 eq. / kWh. hi terms of impacts on the depletion of non-renewable resources for these 3 wastes (cocoa cortex, oil palm fiber and sugarcane bagasse) respectively (0.007; 0.010 and 0.012) MJ / kWh. hi terms of eutrophication-related impacts on global warming for these 3 wastes (cocoa cortex, oil palm fiber and sugarcane bagasse) respectively (0.38; 0.4 and 0.91) g PO43-/ kWh. According to the results of the 3 impacts taken into account hi tins LCA study, it is desirable to use these 3 agricultural wastes to produce electricity with very good energy and environmental performance, instead of fossil fuels (diesel, oil and coal). Finally, the objective of this research will be to provide credible information to decision-makers (governments, private and public companies, national and international organizations and the general public) in order to promote the installation of energy production units (heat and/or electricity) based on the combustion of these 3 agricultural residues hi rural and industrial areas.

Unlocking the potential of lignocellulosic biomass in road construction: A brief review of OPF

Currently, oil palm fibre (OPF) is considered oil palm biomass, which is highly potential for road construction applications. The utilization of natural based by-products could promote sustainability in the construction and pavement technology, and it aids in the reduction of the raw material cost for this sector. Recently, various research findings have discovered that the OPF has extraordinary properties, which could act as an asphalt binder in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) preparation. For instance, the fibre from oil palm empty fruit bunches, palm kernel shell, frond, mesocarp fibre, and oil palm trunk is exploited in developing asphalt pavement applications after further processing to produce highly efficient bio-products. Thus, this paper provides a brief overview of the potential of natural fibre, especially oil palm empty fruit bunch, as a pavement material in SMA development. The background on the general requirements of pavement manufacturing has been expressed in the early part of the manuscript. Then, the overview of the properties of OPF is elaborated on its potential as a binder material for a sustainable pavement. It was discovered that crude palm oil and its by-products could be used to make sustainable and cost-effective asphalt and concrete.

Conversion of Recycled Palm Oil and Water Hyacinth Fiber into Polyurethane Composite Foam - Noise Reduction Media in Oxygen Concentrator Machine

Conversion of Recycled Palm Oil and Water Hyacinth Fiber into Polyurethane Composite Foam - Noise Reduction Media in Oxygen Concentrator Machine

POTENTIAL USE OF PALM OIL AND COCOA WASTE BIOMASSES AS SOURCES OF ENERGY GENERATION BY GASIFICATION SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF PARÁ, BRAZIL

Regional development in the state of Pará (Brazil) continues to be limited by lack of access to energy. This is a problem that is widespread in several rural communities and agricultural regions. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the potential use of palm oil and cocoa processing waste biomass, which are abundant in the state and whose energy capacities can be used to generate electricity in biomass gasification plants. To do so, a literature review on elementary and calorific value analysis of palm oil (empty fruit bunches, fibers, kernel shell and cake, trunks, and others) and cocoa (pod husks) were conducted. The findings have shown that both waste biomass materials have satisfactory energetic characteristics for use in gasification plants. Thus, palm oil and cocoa processing waste biomasses are alternative energy sources for producers of these fruits in upstate Pará, enabling the development of the region.

The Use of Oil Palm Fibre as an Additive in Concrete

The Use of Oil Palm Fibre as an Additive in Concrete

Statistical Analysis and Mathematical Modelling of Plackett-Burman Screening Design to Improve the Fuel Properties of Oil Palm Fiber by Torrefaction Process

Statistical Analysis and Mathematical Modelling of Plackett-Burman Screening Design to Improve the Fuel Properties of Oil Palm Fiber by Torrefaction Process

An ultra-sensitive uric acid second generation biosensor based on chemical immobilization of uricase on functionalized multiwall carbon nanotube grafted palm oil fiber in the presence of a ferrocene mediator.

In this work, palm oil fiber (POF) grafted functionalized multiwall carbon nanotube (FMWCNT) decorated ferrocene (Fc) has been drop coated on a platinum electrode (Pt), in which uricase (UOx) has been chemically immobilized for sensitive and selective biosensing of uric acid (UA). Through the use of EDC/NHS, a stable bioelectrode (UOx/Fc/FMWCNT-POF/Pt) was obtained and characterized by FTIR/ATRIR, XRD, Raman, EA/EDX, TGA, SEM, TEM, CV, EIS, CA, and DPV. Results from DPV showed the rapid response of the developed bioelectrode towards UA (0.185 V) with high sensitivity (41.14 μA mM-1) and good limit of detection (19 μM) in the linear range 10-1000 μM. The low value of Michaelis-Menten constant (km = 31.364 μM) shows high affinity of the UA towards the enzyme at the electrode surface. The developed biosensor demonstrates good reproducibility, repeatability, and stability with a deviation of less than 2.5%, and was successfully applied for human blood sample analysis. The CA study revealed a fast response time (2 s) of the sensor. The work has pioneered a new addition to the class of tailorable chemical species for biosensor development and proven to be a promising new tool for point of care testing (POCT) applications.