Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fiber Research Articles

Improvement of Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Short Natural Fiber Reinforced Recycled Polypropylene Composites through Double Step Grafting Process

This study focused on the effect of a compatibilizer addition, maleic anhydrides (MAH) on mechanical, thermal and water absorption properties of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) fiber reinforced recycled polypropylene (rPP) biocomposites. The double steps grafting process were conducted by incorporated MAH on both rPP and EFB to improve the surface adhesion between these materials, to result in a good mechanical properties as well as biocompatibility to nature. The chemical test was carried out using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red) spectroscopy technique to evaluated grafting process. The mechanical test was investigated and found that the addition of 10 phr MAH to both rPP and EFB improved mechanical strength of the biocomposites higher than another formulas. In this study, thermal properties of biocomposites also characterized. Water absorption (WA) analysis showed the presence of EFB fiber increased the water uptake of the material.

Oil palm fiber biodegradation: physico-chemical and structural relationships.

X-ray microtomography results revealed that delignification process damaged the oil palm fibers, which correlated well with reduction of lignin components and increase of the phenolic content. Biodegradation investigation of natural fibers normally focuses on physico-chemical analysis, with less emphasis on physical aspect like fiber structures affect from microbial activity. In this work, the performance of Pycnoporus sanguineus to delignify oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers through solid-state fermentation utilizing various ratio of POME sludge was reported. In addition to tensile testing, physico-chemical and X-ray microtomography (µ-CT) analyses on the oil palm fibers were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the degradation process. The best ratio of fiber to fungi (60:40) was chosen based on the highest lignin loss and total phenolic content values and further investigation was performed to obtain fermentation kinetics data of both laccase and manganese peroxidase. µ-CT results revealed that delignification process damaged the pre-treated and untreated fibers structure, as evident from volume reduction after degradation process. This is correlated with reduction of lignin component and increase of the phenolic content, as well as lower stress-strain curves of the pre-treated fibers compared to the untreated ones (from tensile testing). It is suggested that P. sanguineus preferred to consume the outer layer of the fiber, before it penetrates through the cellular structure of the inner fiber.

Enhanced Delignification of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibers with in situ Fenton-oxidation

The degradation of lignin in oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers by a low concentration of H2O2 was observed with the assistance of Fenton oxidation with Fe(III), Fe(0), and Fe3O4 as a catalyst. To escalate the oxidation activity toward lignin in the EFB fibers, the uptake of the Fenton reagent on the EFB fibers for in situ Fenton oxidation was optimized with fitted Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models. The efficiency of assisted Fenton reagents was monitored through controlled parameters of H2O2 concentration, retention time, and increment of Fenton reagents. The delignification was observed with up to 71.2% of lignin degradation compared to 47.2% without the use of the Fenton reagents. The characteristics of EFB fibers after the oxidation process were changed based on the observation of morphological and chemical properties. The oxidation concurrently dislodged part of the silica bodies and disrupted specific functional groups and the crystallinity of the EFB fibers.

The Use of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) Fibers as Partial Replacement for Imported Recycled Fibers

Papermaking in Malaysia is basically based on recycled (secondary) fibers which are sourced from various parts of the world with prices depending on the quality of the fibers procured. The costs of paper production could possibly be reduced by using local fibers as partial replacement provided that the strength requirements are not compromised; and one such type is the oil palm fibers which are obtained as the by-product of the palm oil industry. This paper reports the use of the oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber as a partial substitute in the production of corrugating medium. Both unbleached and totally chlorine free (TCF) bleached OPEFB pulps were mixed in different ratios with high quality recycled pulps which had been mechanically and chemically treated. Burst strength results indicate as high as 70% recycled pulp can be replaced by OPEFB pulps yet still having strength properties that are comparable with the industrial produced corrugating medium. Although the effect of bleached pulp is significant at high addition levels of more than 70%, the cost-energy balance will not be effective to use these bleached fibers, and furthermore the utilization of unbleached pulps also gave the same desired results. The use of the underutilized OPEFB fibers for replacement of imported recycled fibers without compromising the paper strength qualities could help the Malaysian paper industry in their quest for finding fiber alternatives.

Mechanical properties of unidirectional oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber reinforced epoxy composite

Natural fibers have proven to be an excellent reinforcement material for various polymers. In this study, OPEFB fiber with unidirectional alignment was incorporated in epoxy and an investigation on tensile and flexural characteristics of the composite has been carried out. A fiber surface modification utilizing alkaline treatment with 1 sodium hydroxide solution was used in order to increase the fiber matrix bond in the composite. The investigation was carried out for 0°, 45° and 90° fiber orientation. Result showed that the higher the angle of the fiber orientation, the higher the tensile strength and flexural strength the composite will yield.

Co-processing of heavy oil with wood biomass using supercritical m-xylene and n-dodecane solvents

Heavy oil was co-processed with wood biomass by using supercritical m-xylene and n-dodecane. The effects of the solvent, temperature, hydrogen, and catalyst on vacuum residue (VR) upgrading were evaluated using residue conversion, coke formation, and product distribution as performance parameters. VR was subjected to co-processing with microcrystalline cellulose (cellulose) or oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (EFB), and the parameters were compared with those obtained from VR upgrading. Co-processing of VR/cellulose using a catalyst and hydrogen led to higher conversion (72.6 wt%) than co-processing of VR/EFB at 400 °C and the highest yield of light product (65.7 wt%). Using the Fe3O4 catalyst with H2 for co-processing positively influenced generation of the light product fraction. VR upgrading and co-processing using supercritical solvents could eliminate a certain amount of sulfur compounds from heavy oil. Co-processing of wood biomass with petroleum feedstocks in existing oil refineries can reduce the capital costs of bulk treatment.

Compounding Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch/Cotton Fiber Hybrid Reinforced Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposites Aiming For High-temperature Packaging Applications

The manufacture of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites reinforced with both oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and cotton fiber was investigated. The positive and significant effect of EFB on the heat distortion temperature (HDT) and flexural properties was determined by a 2k design of experiment study. Adding solid epoxy into the PLA matrix manifested inferior mechanical properties with no improvement to the HDT. The HDT and mechanical properties of the biocomposites were further improved by using an EFB/cotton hybridized system. The PLA/hybridized EFB/cotton biocomposites showed biodegradability and an HDT higher than 100 °C. However, the flowability of the material was retarded at high cotton fractions. Finally, adding talc filler into the biocomposites improved the flowability of the hybridized biocomposite systems, especially at low fiber and high talc contents. Nevertheless, inferior mechanical properties of the biocomposites were found for high talc and low fibers’ contents.

Preparation and characterization of magnetic biosorbent based on oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers, cellulose and Ceiba pentandra for heavy metal ions removal

This study prepared, characterized and developed agro-based magnetic biosorbents (AMBs) from Ceiba pentandra (RKF), oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and celluloses (CEL) extracted from EFB, using a novel, simple and cost-effective preparation technique for the removal of Pb(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II) and Ni(II) ions from aqueous solutions. There has been no report on the methods to prepare and the use of magnetic biosorbent based on these biomaterials. The morphological, chemical and magnetic characterization suggested successful preparation of AMBs with good dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles on the surface of the base materials with clear magnetic properties. Optimum sorption was achieved between pH 5–7, and increase in initial ion concentration and solution temperature resulted in increased ion uptake. AMBs regeneration was successfully performed for 5 adsorption/desorption cycles. The magnetic biosorbent based on kapok showed the best Pb(II) removal efficiency of 99.4% and 49mg/g adsorption capacity compared to 98.2% for cellulose and 97.7% for EFB. The magnetic biosorbents exhibited 10.3% higher removal efficiency than the raw sorbents.

Effect of Maleic Anhydride-Modified Poly(lactic acid) on the Properties of Its Hybrid Fiber Biocomposites.

This work investigated the effect of maleic anhydride (MA)-modified poly(lactic acid) (PLA), which is melt-blended with different untreated and aqueous borax (BR)-treated hybrid oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers (EFBF)/Kenaf core fibers (KCF), and compression-molded into corresponding hybrid biocomposites. These hybrid systems includes BR-treated EFBF/BR-treated KCF reinforced MA-modified PLA i.e., BR(EFBF-KCF)-MAPLA, BR-treated EFBF/BR-treated KCF reinforced unmodified PLA i.e., BR(EFBF-KCF)-PLA, untreated EFBF/untreated KCF reinforced MA-modified PLA i.e., EFBF-KCF-MAPLA, and untreated EFBF/untreated KCF reinforced unmodified PLA i.e., EFBF-KCF-PLA respectively. Characterizations of the hybrid systems revealed that optimal mechanical, physical, morphological, thermal and dynamic mechanical properties were provided by the BR(EFBF-KCF)-MAPLA, resulting from improved interface adhesion, consequent of the synergistic influence of BR treatment of natural fibers, and the compatibilization effect provided by the MA-modified PLA. The grafting degree and efficiency of MA onto the PLA backbone was appreciable, as indicated by direct titration, and through monitoring using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR); thus the MA-modified PLA facilitated the formation of strong interface adhesion with the BR-treated hybrid fibers. The BR(EFBF-KCF)-MAPLA showed promising properties for usage as a bio-inspired, and sustainable alternative fiberboard article.

Determining the Complex Permittivity of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibre Material by Open-ended Coaxial Probe Technique for Microwave Applications

A material description was established for oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre waste for microwave absorber applications by determining its dielectric properties with respect to fibre size and frequency. The proposed OPEFB material was studied at frequencies from 1 to 4 GHz. The study was conducted using the open-ended coaxial probe (OECP) HP85071C technique. The effect of microwave frequency on complex permittivity properties for powdered OPEFB and compressed OPEFB with different particle sizes (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 μm) were investigated. Results showed that the microwave frequency and particle size significantly influenced the complex permittivity (real and imaginary) properties of the samples. Moreover, the complex permittivity decreased as the powder fibre size increased. The complex permittivity of the smallest and largest powder fibre sizes (100 and 500 μm) were (2.050 − j 0.197) and (1.934 − j 0.137), respectively; and the complex permittivity of the smallest and largest compressed OPEFB fibre sizes (100 and 500 μm) were (3.799 − j0.603) and (3.326 − j0.486), respectively. The compressed OPEFB complex permittivity was higher than that of the OPEFB powder.

Conversion and characterization of activated carbon fiber derived from palm empty fruit bunch waste and its kinetic study on urea adsorption

Urea removal is an important process in household wastewater purification and hemodialysis treatment. The efficiency of the urea removal can be improved by utilizing activated carbon fiber (ACF) for effective urea adsorption. In this study, ACF was prepared from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber via physicochemical activation using sulfuric acid as an activating reagent. Based on the FESEM result, ACF obtained after the carbonization and activation processes demonstrated uniform macropores with thick channel wall. ACF was found better prepared in 1.5:1 acid-to-EFB fiber ratio; where the pore size of ACF was analyzed as 1.2 nm in diameter with a predominant micropore volume of 0.39 cm3 g−1 and a BET surface area of 869 m2 g−1. The reaction kinetics of urea adsorption by the ACF was found to follow a pseudo-second order kinetic model. The equilibrium amount of urea adsorbed on ACF decreased from 877.907 to 134.098 mg g−1 as the acid-to-fiber ratio increased from 0.75 to 4. During the adsorption process, the hydroxyl (OH) groups on ACF surface were ionized and became electronegatively charged due to the weak alkalinity of urea solution, causing ionic repulsion towards partially anionic urea. The ionic repulsion force between the electronegatively charged ACF surface and urea molecules became stronger when more OH functional groups appeared on ACF prepared at higher acid impregnation ratio. The results implied that EFB fiber based ACF can be used as an efficient adsorbent for the urea removal process.

Properties of Aminosilane Modified Nanocrytalline Cellulose (NCC) from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Fibers

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) is one of the lignocellulosic materials which very well known as an abundant waste at oil mills and need to be utilized. The nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was extracted from OPEFB fiber through several of chemical treatment and hydrolyzed with sulphuric acid (H2SO4). NCC acts as support to modify with aminosilane, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylmethyldimethoxy silane (AEAPDMS) which has possibility for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of NCC properties after modified with AEAPDMS. The raw OPEFB fiber, cellulose, NCC and modified NCC were characterized by attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) but the morphology and the size of NCC was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The NCC treated with AEAPDMS was proved by FTIR with the emerging of several new peaks especially for NH2 bending and wagging around 1600 cm-1 and 798 cm-1, respectively. While, the XRD result showed the CrI of modified NCC decreased to 64 % from 76 % after the treatment due to the interaction of silanization occurred during the treatment since AEAPDMS has amorphous region. The NCC used in this study was classed as nanomaterial within nanosize and rod-like morphology observed by TEM analysis. Thus, these results give a good possibility for the AEAPDMS modified NCC to capture CO2 via covalent bonding.

Tensile Mechanical Property of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Natural, short, untreated and randomly oriented oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber reinforced epoxy composites were manufactured using vacuum bagging technique with 20% fiber volume composition. The performance of the composite was evaluated as an alternative to synthetic or conventional reinforced composites. Tensile properties such as tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio were compared to the tensile properties of pure epoxy obtained via tensile tests as per ASTM D 638 specifications using Universal Testing Machine INSTRON 5582. The tensile properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber reinforced epoxy composites were lower compared to plain epoxy structure with the decrement in performances of 38% for modulus of elasticity and 61% for tensile strength.

Adsorption of Heavy Metal Ions on Surface of Functionalized Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibres: Single and Binary Systems

The functionalization of surface charges on oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers was modified by grafted carboxylic acid and polymer amine groups. Single and binary adsorption of Cu(II), Ni(II), Mo(VI) and As(V) were investigated by competitiveness in the adsorbents. The mechanism of each metal ion was deliberately studied on kinetics-diffusion (intraparticle diffusion) and isotherm adsorption models (Langmuir and Freundlich). Competitiveness of metal ions was found in the selectivity of Cu(II) > Ni(II) and Mo(VI) > As(V) in the binary solution. The regeneration of adsorbents was performed up to five cycles of an adsorption/desorption process and the reduction of adsorption performance was less than 14.5%. Therefore, this promises low-cost adsorbents for metal ion uptake, showing potential for removal and recovery in industrial wastewater treatment.

Combination of Gamma Irradiation and Sodium Carbonate Pretreatment on Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) for High Acidic Hydrolysis Yield

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibres were pretreated by gamma irradiation followed by sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) before the acid hydrolysis process to produce reducing sugars using diluted sulphuric acid (H2SO4). In this study, EFB fibres were irradiated at different doses, i.e. 0, 100 and 200 kGy. Meanwhile, the gamma irradiated sample were then subjected to Na2CO3 pretreatment with 0 and 5% total titratable alkali (TTA). The effect of the pretreatment using gamma irradiation and Na2CO3 on the physical and chemical properties of the EFB fibres and the yield of the reducing sugar obtained from the acid hydrolysis process was investigated. The obtained results showed that the content of holocellulose was increased significantly with the increase of irradiation doses combined with Na2CO3 pretreatment, whereas lignin content of the EFB was decreased. The gamma irradiation and Na2CO3 pretreatment resulted in structure breakage and removal of silica of EFB fibres which can be due to the swelling of the fibres. A synergistic effect between gamma irradiation and Na2CO3 was observed, in which the yield of reducing sugars was increased by combining the gamma irradiation and Na2CO3 pretreatment.

Oil Palm Fiber Vinylester Composite; Effect of Bleaching Treatment

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of chemical treatment on the flexural properties of the composite. Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibers (OPEFB) reinforced Vinylester composite were prepared in this study. Soxhlet extraction together with sodium hypochlorite bleaching methods was used for chemical treatment. The diameter of fibers was reduced from a range of 250-350 μm to 10-15 μm by treatment. Shape and texture of the fibers transformed from solid brown colored strings into a white gel. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) test was carried to investigate the effect of treatment on the thermal properties of natural fibers. Vinylester composites were fabricated using untreated and bleached OPEFB fibers. The bending test results showed the bleached fibers displayed greater flexural properties compared to untreated fibers, where the time of bleaching was an important factor in the treatment process.

Sifat Fisis dan Mekanis Papan Semen dari Serat Tandan Kosong Kelapa Sawit (The Physical and Mechanical Properties of Cement Board Made from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches Fibers)

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) fiber were industrial waste that has not been widely used by the community, only stacked and cause odors that interfere with the surrounding environment. This research studied the utilization of OPEFB fiber for cement board products using cement as resin and CaCl2 as accelerator. Laboratory scale cement board made from OPEFB fiber were mixed with cement, and CaCl2. The composition of fiber and cement were 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, and CaCl2 variations were 0%, 1% and 3%. A mixture of fibers, cement and CaCl2 was compressed at the pressure of 4 ton for 24 hours. The cement boards were tested for physical and mechanical properties according to JIS A 5417-1992, and the results were compared to the requirements of the cement board JIS A 5417-1992. Cement board made from fiber and cement composition 1:1.5 and CaCl2 content 3% produced moisture content, thickness swelling, water absorption, density, modulus of rupture/MOR, modulus of elasticity/MOE and screw withdrawal strength that met the requirement of JIS A 5417-1992. The composition of fiber and cement and the variations of CaCl2 content produced significant effect on water content, water absorption, thickness swelling, modulus of rupture/MOR, modulus of elasticity/MOE and screw withdrawal strength on cement boards.Keywords : oil palm empty fruit bunches fiber, cement boards, physical and mechanical properties

Oil palm empty fruit bunch fibres as sustainable acoustic absorber

This paper discusses the utilisation of fibres from the oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) to be an alternative natural acoustic material. The study was carried out by fabricating samples from raw OPEFB fibres with different densities and thicknesses to observe their effects on the sound absorption performance. It has been demonstrated that the sound absorption performance can be improved by increasing the thickness of the sample and also by having optimum densities of fibres. In particular for lower frequencies, this can be achieved by introducing air cavity gap behind the fibre samples. Measurement of the normal incidence absorption coefficient in an impedance tube based on ISO 10534-2 found that the OPEFB fibres can have absorption coefficient of 0.9 on average above 1kHz. The sound absorption performance of OPEFB fibres is also shown to be comparable to that of the commercial synthetic rock wools.

Morphological and chemo-thermal changes of oven-heat treated oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers during dry disk milling

Dry disk milling has been proven as a feasible mechanical process for obtaining finer particles. The milling was used to pulverize oven-heat untreated and treated oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibers into micro to nano-sized fibers. Scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analyser, fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry tests were performed for dry-milled OPEFB fibers with three different temperatures (unheated sample, 100 °C, and 190 °C for 15 min). The properties of oven-heat untreated and treated OPEFB fibers were noticeably shifted due to dry disk milling processes. Irregular cut-edge, unsmooth, uneven and damaged external structures with varied foldings and scars were found in the fibers. Dry disk milling was able to reduce the crystallinity index of oven-heat untreated and treated OPEFB fibers. The XRD spectra of the fibers were similar with JCPDS Card No: 46-1932. Median particle size of the fibers in the range of 100–1000 nm was successfully obtained by means of dry disk milling for 27 min at 2895 rpm. Dry milled fibers of both treated and untreated fibers contained of C (47.64–51.71%), O (43.33–46.09%), K (1.38–3.95%) and Si (0.37–1.70%). Cementing agents existed after the milling whereas silica bodies were tremendously removed. Thermal stability of dry-milled OPEFB fibers varied with dry disk milling assisted oven-heat treatments.

Polymer blend of PLA/PHBV based bionanocomposites reinforced with nanocrystalline cellulose for potential application as packaging material

The current research discusses the development of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) reinforced nanocrystalline cellulose bionanocomposites. The nanocrystalline cellulose was derived from waste oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber by acid hydrolysis process. The resulting nanocrystalline cellulose suspension was then surface functionalized by TEMPO-mediated oxidation and solvent exchange process. Furthermore, the PLA/PHBV/nanocrystalline cellulose bionanocomposites were produced by solvent casting method. The effect of the addition of nanocrystalline cellulose on structural, morphology, mechanical and barrier properties of bionanocomposites was investigated. The results revealed that the developed bionanocomposites showed improved mechanical properties and decrease in oxygen permeability rate. Therefore, the developed bio-based composite incorporated with an optimal composition of nanocrystalline cellulose exhibits properties as compared to the polymer blend.