Oil Palm Residues Research Articles

Bio-composites from barley, wheat, and cassava flours reinforced with oil palm residues: Characterization and tensile mechanical performance

This study explores the production of bio-composites from barley, wheat, and cassava flours, reinforced with varying ratios of oil palm residues. The research emphasizes principles of circular economy and sustainability. Both flours and reinforcements underwent characterization to elucidate how their physicochemical properties affect the mechanical behavior of the bio-composites. Barley flour exhibited significantly higher levels of protein (11.11 %), crude fiber (5.64 %), and ash (2.80 %) compared to wheat and cassava flours. Conversely, cassava flour stood out for its high carbohydrate concentration (approximately 97.8 % on a dry weight basis). Characterization highlighted enhanced adhesion between reinforcements in bio-composites with cassava flour, alongside morphological distinctions on fractured surfaces. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis unveiled several functional groups in the bio-composites, while thermogravimetric analysis delineated five stages of thermal degradation. In terms of mechanical properties, bio-composites with barley flour showed higher elastic modulus values (970.5 MPa), while those with 12 % OPKS exhibited tensile strengths of 1.7–2.1 MPa. The interaction among components emerged as a fundamental factor influencing the mechanical properties of bio-composites, underscoring the necessity of considering reinforcement composition and distribution during fabrication.

Using palm oil residue for food nutrition and quality: from palm fatty acid distillate to vitamin E toward sustainability.

Increasing global palm oil production yields a valuable palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) - a rich vitamin E (Vit-E) source and multifunctional ingredient in the food agro-industry - that can be utilized to achieve sustainability. This article reviews trends in the use and role of PFAD and its Vit-E in the food sector and proposes an integrated agro-industrial concept toward sustainability. Vit-E can be separated from PFAD with diverse and impactful pharmaceutical activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and anti-ultraviolet effects. Based on in vivo experimental tests, PFAD and Vit-E supplementation can enhance the productivity and quality of livestock-based food products. PFAD is a plasticizer and antistatic packaging material in food packaging systems, and its derivatives can be used as food additives. Meanwhile, the Vit-E molecule in packaging can extend food shelf life by maintaining color stability, reducing lipid oxidation and rancidity, adding antimicrobial properties, and influencing changes in packaging properties such as water vapor, tensile strength, melting point and other physical properties. Toward sustainability, an integrated agro-industrial design has been proposed to implement clean production, increase the added value of palm oil industry residues, minimize environmental risks and increase profits to achieve long-term social welfare. In conclusion, PFAD residues and their Vit-E content have shown broad benefits in the food sector and prospects toward sustainability. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane and oil palm residues after hydrothermal pretreatment: the attainment of cellulose nanofibers

Enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane and oil palm residues after hydrothermal pretreatment: the attainment of cellulose nanofibers

Efficient methane production from agro-industrial residues using anaerobic fungal-rich consortia.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) emerges as a pivotal technique in climate change mitigation, transforming organic materials into biogas, a renewable energy form. This process significantly impacts energy production and waste management, influencing greenhouse gas emissions. Traditional research has largely focused on anaerobic bacteria and methanogens for methane production. However, the potential of anaerobic lignocellulolytic fungi for degrading lignocellulosic biomass remains less explored. In this study, buffalo rumen inocula were enriched and acclimatized to improve lignocellulolytic hydrolysis activity. Two consortia were established: the anaerobic fungi consortium (AFC), selectively enriched for fungi, and the anaerobic lignocellulolytic microbial consortium (ALMC). The consortia were utilized to create five distinct microbial cocktails-AF0, AF20, AF50, AF80, and AF100. These cocktails were formulated based on varying of AFC and ALMC by weights (w/w). Methane production from each cocktail of lignocellulosic biomasses (cassava pulp and oil palm residues) was evaluated. The highest methane yields of CP, EFB, and MFB were obtained at 337, 215, and 54 mL/g VS, respectively. Cocktails containing a mix of anaerobic fungi, hydrolytic bacteria (Sphingobacterium sp.), syntrophic bacteria (Sphaerochaeta sp.), and hydrogenotrophic methanogens produced 2.1-2.6 times higher methane in cassava pulp and 1.1-1.2 times in oil palm empty fruit bunch compared to AF0. All cocktails effectively produced methane from oil palm empty fruit bunch due to its lipid content. However, methane production ceased after 3 days when oil palm mesocarp fiber was used, due to long-chain fatty acid accumulation. Anaerobic fungi consortia showed effective lignocellulosic and starchy biomass degradation without inhibition due to organic acid accumulation. These findings underscore the potential of tailored microbial cocktails for enhancing methane production from diverse lignocellulosic substrates.

IoT Based Smart Palm Oil Seed Segregator using RGB Color Sensor

The manual seed grading process through human vision is tedious and time-consuming due to the tendency for errors and inconsistencies. Shell residues also failed to be properly segregated and required a huge amount of human energy as they were unable to be detected automatically once the waste container was full. The main objectives of this research are to develop an automated palm seed grading and sorting system to increase the seed’s sorting quality. The system can segregate palm oil and shell residues automatically to ease kernel recycling in the future. In addition, the system can implement the waste bins’ level detection, which can notify the user via the Blynk application, reducing the time and manpower required. To develop this system, sensor comparisons are done to determine the best-performing sensor to be used in the operation. The result shows that the RGB color sensor is the best color detecting sensor with an increment accuracy of 30.525%. As for the smart bin for shell residue, system response became 62.96% faster with the use of an ultrasonic sensor. The RGB sensor detects seed with readings <165 color concentration as freshly ripe and readings >165 color concentration as overripe. The janitor can be notified in real-time when the bins for oil and shell residues are full through the Blynk application using the WiFi module (ESP8266). The system has 100% accuracy, which was tested using the confusion matrix formula for both seed categories.

An assessment of the renewable energy potential of oil palm residues: A case study of CDC plantation, Cameroon

Cameroon faces enormous clean energy accessibility challenges despite abundant energy resources and huge quantities of free oil palm residues (OPR) generated but dumped yearly from the agro-industrial companies like the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC). Presently, electricity supply is mainly from hydro (73 %) with accessibility of 65 % and 14 % for urban and rural areas respectively, while energy mix is historically dominated by traditional biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal, accounting for more than 76 % of the country's total energy consumption. The hydro supply is not regular as it depends on weather conditions and this has negatively impacted the economy. The situation is aggravated by the increased energy demand over the past decade as Cameroon has engaged to become an emerging economy by 2035. However, encouraging policies for researchers and investors in the energy sector have been put in place with a view of attaining a 25 % share of renewable energy (RE) by 2035. OPR are a potential (RE) resource but require technical assessment and technological transformation into clean energy rather than dumping, which constitutes a serious environmental problem. This research has assessed the quantity of OPR generated annually at the CDC and estimated its clean energy value from 2004 to 2018 by consulting fruits-harvest records from CDC statistics office and by bomb calorimetry respectively. The significant findings reveal a yearly production of 203666T of OPR with a calorific value of 896 TJ, corresponding to electrical energy potential of 249 MWh. The energy could be used by the industry or injected into the grid to mitigate the current energy challenges.

Enhanced Torrefied Oil-Palm Biomass as an Alternative Bio-Circular Solid Fuel: Innovative Modeling of Optimal Conditions and Ecoefficiency Analysis

Energy production from coal combustion is responsible for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions including SOx and NOx. This study aims to produce solid biomass fuels from oil-palm residues by torrefaction, having a high heating value (HHV) equivalent to fossil coals. The experiments were designed using Design Expert version 13 software to optimize the conditions affecting the fuel characteristics of the torrefied products. The statistical analysis suggested that the optimal conditions to achieve a high HHV and fixed carbon content while retaining the mass yield of biomass mainly depended on the temperature and torrefying time, while the size played a less important role in affecting the properties. The optimal conditions were observed to be at 283 °C (120 min) for EFBs, 301 °C (111 min) for PF, and 285 °C (120 min) for PKSs. The maximum HHV of 5229, 5969, and 5265 kcal/kg were achieved for the torrefied EFBs, PF, and PKSs, respectively. The energy efficiency of torrefied biomass was increased to 1.25–1.35. Ecoefficiency analysis suggested that torrefaction should be carried out at high temperatures with a short torrefying time. This low-cost bio-circular torrefied biomass showed promising fuel characteristics that could be potentially used as an alternative to coals.

Perkembangan Penyakit Busuk Batang pada Kelapa Sawit Pasca Peremajaan Tanaman

Basal stem rot caused by the fungus Ganoderma boninense is the major threat to oil palm plantations in Indonesia, especially for second generation. Handling oil palm residues during the replanting process greatly determines the fungal attack. This research aims to reveal how handling oil palm trunks affects G. boninense attacks on second generation oil palm plantations. The treatments studied were felled trunk and felled-chipped trunk, each represented by two blocks (five years old of oil palm) with a density of 143 trees/hectare. The results of the study showed that second generation oil palms had a very high prevalence of basal stem rot disease, even though there were differences in the incidence and severity of the disease. Chipping of felled trunk residues can slow the development of the disease. Management of palm residues has a major influence on the onset of this disease in replanted oil palms.

Hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of purified lignin nanoparticles reinforced marine‐derived biopolymer composites

AbstractLignin has been considered the main aromatic renewable biopolymer. Besides its availability in large quantities as a major and low‐cost side product of several industries as a polysaccharide component of lignocellulosic biomass for industrial applications, it remains underutilized and as such, lignin valorization is highly desirable. This study was focused on the fabrication, purification, and characterization of lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) from black liquor of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) empty fruit bunch (EFB). The functional properties of the LNPs investigated include the morphology, particle size, zeta potential distribution, elemental composition, functional groups, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The purified LNPs provided smaller particle sizes ranging from 32 to 62 nm while the unpurified sample sizes range between 53 and 88 nm. The zeta potential value of purified LNPs displays relatively good stability to the unpurified LNPs despite the consistency in their particle size spreading as observed from the TEM micrograph. The results of the GC–MS analysis signify that the purification procedure affects the compounds in the LNPs. The kappa‐carrageenan (KC) biopolymers reinforced with purified LNPs provided more organized surfaces than the biopolymers reinforced with unpurified LNPs, leading to enhanced hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of the bionanocomposites. This study shows the potential applications of valorized lignin from oil palm residue as a reinforcement agent in renewable packaging.Highlights Lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) were yielded from empty fruit bunch black liquor. Syringyl to guaiacyl ratio of LNPs was increased from 0.83 to 1.26. Biopolymers were prepared by incorporating LNPs into the kappa‐carrageenan. Biopolymer with 4% purified LNPs had an optimum contact angle of 106.83°. The optimized biopolymer showed an optimum tensile strength of 38.42 MPa.

Valorization of Deodorizing Distillate Palm Oil Residue for Larvicidal Activity Against Aedes aegypti and Synergistic Effect of Their Free Fatty Acids

Valorization of Deodorizing Distillate Palm Oil Residue for Larvicidal Activity Against Aedes aegypti and Synergistic Effect of Their Free Fatty Acids

Energy analysis for efficient mechanisation of palm oil extraction in Ghana: Targeting circular economy

Challenges related to sustainability, energy access, process efficiency, and cost of production in the extraction of palm oil make its energy analysis necessary in Ghana. This study determined the energy consumption patterns in palm oil mills in Ghana to ultimately enhance system efficiency and assess optimum production costs. In this study, data was collected among Palm Oil Processing facilities in Bono, Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions. The results found the average total energy consumption for the manual, semi-mechanised and highly mechanised extraction systems to be 122.5, 112.9, and 82.4 kJ/kg respectively. The net potential electricity from oil palm residue was estimated to be 299 kJ/kg which can be used for other operations. The mean total energy for the oil drying and pressing stages are identical across the systems. The minimum mean total energy is required at the threshing stage of the oil palm production process with which the manual system has the highest amount of energy whilst, the highly mechanized system requires the least average total energy for threshing. Policy makers should target increased level of mechanization since highly mechanized processing plants recorded lower energy demands.

A novel transparent hydrogel made of nanocellulose derived from oil palm residue: evaluation of its water retention and biodegradation properties

A novel transparent hydrogel made of nanocellulose derived from oil palm residue: evaluation of its water retention and biodegradation properties

Transformation of Poultry Wastes and Oil Palm Residues into Liquid Fertilizers and its Use in the Fertilization of Oil Palm at the Juvenile Stage

The use of organic fertilizers is beneficial and less expensive if applied in adequate doses. This is how the present investigation aims to determine the optimal quantities of vermiwash based on poultry waste and oil palm residues to be applied to oil palms in prenurseries and in nurseries. To do this, different quantities of this locally manufactured vermiwash constituted the treatments applied to the oil palms at the juvenile stage. Growth parameters such as collar diameter, length of longest leaf, number of leaves emitted, and height of seedlings and plants were assessed. At the prenursery stage, the results obtained showed that, whatever the growth parameter, the maximum values were recorded at a dose of 30 ml of vermiwash per seedling. In the nursery, the maximum values were recorded, on the one hand, at the dose of 100 ml in foliar application and, on the other hand, at the dose of 150 ml in application on the substrate. These different doses therefore constitute the optimal doses for the development of the oil palm at the prenursery and nursery stages. Vermiwash from poultry waste and oil palm residues therefore contributes to the development of oil palm at the prenursery and nursery stages and, thus, can be an alternative to chemical fertilization of plants.

Production of dried Beauveria bassiana conidia in packed-column bioreactor using agro-industrial palm oil residues

Agro-industrial waste byproducts are commonly inexpensive organic nutritional sources for production of filamentous fungi, and selection of an optimal bioreactor is a key factor for attaining satisfactory biomass yield and quality. The insect-pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) has been extensively mass produced by solid-state fermentation using precooked cereal grains. Here, we propose low-cost palm oil residues as the main substrate using a cylindrical packed-column aerobic bioreactor prototype designed for conidial production of B. bassiana. Fermentation treatments using B. bassiana strain CG1229 assessed the impact of temperature, air flow, substrate moisture content, and ratio between palm fiber (PF) and palm kernel cake (PKC) on conidial yield and desiccation tolerance. Results showed significant enhanced productivity (2 ×1010 conidia g−1 dry matter) and reduced fermentation time (from 168 h to 120 h) by this method compared with the conventional tray bioreactor. Optimal substrate conditions were 60% initial moisture and 30% PF + 70% PKC content, fermentation at 26 °C with aeration rate ≥ 0.2 L min−1. Air drying conidia inside the column yielded > 95% germination. Maximum spore production was achieved in 120 h. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using a packed-column bioreactor for mass production of B. bassiana conidia using low-cost agricultural residues, which contributes to a sustainable production method of this biopesticide in Brazil.

Optimum Conditions for Cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris on Oil Palm Residue Extracts

The need to manage agro waste in the environment has continued to generate worries to most developing countries. Oil palm mill waste cause pollutions of soil, water and environment but could be exploited as substrate for algal growth because of its rich mineral and carbohydrate contents. In this study Oil palm cake and Empty fruit bunch residue were obtained from Aluu, Rivers State Nigeria. The proximate, physicochemical analysis of the extract were ascertained, wavelength selection of extract was done to monitor for biomass production, growth media ratio of extract and One Factor at a Time (OFAT) was employed for the optimization of Chlorella vulgaris growth on the Oil Palm Residue Extracts. The proximate result revealed that the range of Ash (8.40 ± 0.30 - 6.60 ± 0.40 ppm), Moisture (10.90 ± 0.30 - 6.75 ± 0.65 ppm), Lipid (22.05 ± 0.35 - 14.90 ± 0.30 ppm), Protein (1.30 ± 0.18 - 0.80 ± 0.08 ppm), Fiber (25.50 ± 0.50 - 39.09 ± 0.57 ppm) and Carbohydrate (29.83 ± 0.29 - 29.29 ± 0.58 ppm). The physicochemical composition pH (5.15 ± 0.02 - 5.36 ± 0.06), Conductivity (224.15 ± 0.45 - 481.00 ± 2.00 µS/cm), DO (2.87 ± 0.06 - 4.86 ± 0.06 ppm), Nitrate (31.05 ± 0.48 - 40.33 ± 0.98 ppm), Sulphate (36.35 ± 0.46 - 50.68 ± 0.49 ppm) and phosphate (27.71 ± 0.50 - 37.35 ± 0.55 ppm) were obtained for Oil palm cake and Empty fruit bunch respectively. Wavelength of 620 nm exhibited better accuracy for the biomass monitoring and optimization investigations. Growth media ratio selected was 180:20 for empty fruit bunch: oil palm cake. The optimization revealed pH 6.0, temperature 30oC, salinity 10ppm and photoperiod 12:12 day: night as optimal condition for the growth of Chlorella vulgaris biomass. The oil palm residue can be a veritable medium for growth of this algae and biotechnological application in waste management.

Morphological and thermal stability characteristics of oil palm frond and trunk by ultrasound-low alkali-based pretreatment

Oil palm fronds and trunks leave a lot of lignocellulosic residues in the agricultural field. Due to its highly complex chemical composition, the lignocellulosic matrix is difficult to break down. This study aims to investigate the effects of chemo-physical pretreatment of oil palm fronds and trunks with ultrasound in a low alkali concentration solution. The microstructure and thermal stability of the oil palm frond and trunk were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a thermogravimetric (TG) method. SEM analysis proved the deterioration of the lignocellulose matrix of the ultrasound-assisted alkali pretreatment compared to raw. According to the TG results, the decomposition temperature curve of treated oil palm shifted to the right side after 50 percent mass degradation, indicating more excellent thermal stability than untreated oil palm biomass. On the other hand, at a temperature above 350 °C, the pretreated biomass has less thermal stability. It has been demonstrated that a combination of low chemical concentration and physical pretreatments can disrupt the oil palm lignocellulose microstructure and potentially shorten the time required to achieve maximum hydrolysis efficiency. Furthermore, ultrasonication power of 300 W, frequency of 40 kHz, temperature of 80 °C, and time of 30 min in combination with low alkali-based pretreatment in oil palm residue will be helpful in applications requiring greater thermal stability.

Sustainability analysis of the bio-dimethyl ether (bio-DME) production via integrated biomass gasification and direct DME Synthesis Process

The sustainability analysis based on life cycle assessment (LCA) of bio-dimethyl ether (bio-DME) production via an integrated biomass gasification and direct DME synthesis (IBG-DME) process, using oil palm residue as feedstock, was performed. The IBG-DME process was simulated in Aspen plus. Operating at selected condition, the IBG-DME was an exothermic process, whereas for 1 kg h−1 of oil palm trunk, bio-DME of 0.3456 kg h−1 and bio-methanol of 0.015 kg h−1 were produced as main product and by product, respectively, with energy efficiency at 59.5%. The energy consumption increased as gasifying temperature increased and reached thermal self-sufficient condition at approximately 890 °C but the CO2 emission showed opposite trend. LCA result indicated that the carbon footprint of each unit operation relied on the energy consumption. For biomass gasification section, the global warming potential (GWP) accounted for approximately 91% of the total impact. The DME production section highly contributed toward the ozone depletion potential (ODP), eco-toxicity (ET), and human toxicity-non-carcinogenics (HTNC) whereas the syngas cleaning and conditioning section highly contributed toward GWP, human toxicity potential by ingestion (HTPI), and aquatic toxicity potential (ATP). The endpoint impact on the ecosystem were higher than the human health for all process sections.

Mycelium running of Volvariella volvacea on palm oil empty fruit bunch fibre following different substrate and mycelium treatment

Leading the palm oil industry, Malaysia strives to become the powerhouse of palm oil producers. However, it is crucial that the industry does not influence the environment negatively in any way. Thus, reusing and repurposing palm oil residues in mushroom farming is one of the potential solutions for agricultural waste management. In this study, the objective of this study is to determine the mycelial performance of V. volvacea in palm oil empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibre as substrate and to evaluate the mycelial growth performance of V. volvacea in two different substrate treatment. The substrate treatment involved the non-treated EFB fibres (N substrate) and EFB fibres treated with 10% Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) (T substrate), and mycelium treatment involved in gamma-irradiated mycelium (G sample) and non-irradiated mycelium (NG sample). Results shows that mycelium inoculated on treated EFB fibres exhibited a higher growth rate compared to non-treated EFB fibres. The full colonization days of mycelial run-on substrate using treated substrate was found reduced from 15 days to 9 days, as compared to the non-treated substrate. However, gamma irradiated mycelium was found giving no significant changes to the rate of mycelial run. In conclusion, substrate treated with CaCO3, increased the growth of mycelium. In future, it is suggested to measure the effect of irradiation using different gamma irradiation exposure.

Economic Analysis of Thermal–Catalytic Process of Palm Oil (Elaeis guineesensis, Jacq) and Soap Phase Residue from Neutralization Process of Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis, Jacq)

Palm oil is, from an economic, environmental, and social point of view, a vegetable oil with great potential and the state of Pará-Brazil is Brazil’s great producer. In addition, soap phase residue or palm oil neutralization sludge (PONS), a byproduct of the neutralization step of the chemical refinement of palm oil, is produced, posing a huge problem for waste disposal and management in the production process of refined palm oil (RPO). In this context, this work aims to systematically investigate the economic analysis of the thermal–catalytic process of crude palm oil (CPO) and palm oil neutralization sludge (PONS). The thermocatalytic processes of CPO and PONS carried out at pilot scale and their economic feasibility were analyzed. The yields of biofuels produced by fractional distillation were also presented. The physicochemical properties of CPO and PONS, as well as those of organic liquid products obtained by the thermal–catalytic process of CPO and PONS were taken into account in the economic analysis. In addition, the chemical composition organic liquid products obtained by thermal–catalytic process of CPO and PONS, as well as its distillation fractions (green gasoline, green kerosene, green light diesel and heavy diesel), used as key factors/indicators on the economic analysis. The analysis of the key factors/indicators from the thermocatalytic processes of CPO and PONS showed economic viability for both crude palm oil (Elaeis guineensis, Jacq) and palm oil neutralization sludge. The minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) obtained in this work for the biofuels was 1.59 USD/L using crude palm oil (CPO) and 1.34 USD/L using palm oil neutralization sludge (PONS). The best breakeven point obtained was of 1.24 USD/L considering the PONS. The sensibility analysis demonstrated that the pyrolysis and distillation yields are the most important variables that affect the minimum fuel-selling price (MFSP) in both economic analyses.

Optimal Composition of Palm Oil Biomass to Minimize Biomass Power Plants’ Greenhouse Gases Emission

Abstract The increasing energy demand and rising concern about climate change have become two significant factors in finding alternative energy sources other than fossil fuels. Biomass has been implemented by several tropical countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia to answer this challenge by utilizing palm oil by-products as boiler fuels to generate steam for palm oil mill (POM) processing as well as for electricity generation. Fiber and kernel shell have become two major palm oil residues that have been implemented for this purpose. Moreover, empty fruit bunch (EFB) can also become another alternative biomass to fuel the boiler. This study is aimed at analyzing and optimizing the utilization of fiber, shell, and EFB by adjusting percentile contents of those three constituents and evaluating the CO2 production. The result of this analysis indicates that the best composition to minimize the CO2 of the biomass power plant is using 70% fiber, 0% shell, and 30% EFB. However, the increase of NO2 and SO2 must also be considered to find the correct balance between those three emissions. In addition, EFB should be pretreated (drying and shredding) before the combustion to reduce the water content and the dimension of EFB.