Palm Residues Research Articles

323 PUBLICATION Cyclin E is an important prognostic factor in Japanese breast cancers

In recent, production of bioethanol in Indonesia is produced primarily from sugarcane molasses and cassava as the 1st generation. But related with its development, it is quite hard to be a major feedstock in bioethanol conversion because there is conflict in using between consumption food and energy resources. Due to abundant lignocellulose biomass resources in Indonesia, such as empty fruit bunch (EFB) of oil palm, sugarcane bagasse and other forrest residue, the research in the development of process for 2nd generation bioethanol production is being increase. This case can be a right solution to solve the problem because lignocellulose is unused material. Processing of lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol consists of four major unit operations: pre-treatment, hydrolysis, fermentation and product separation/distillation. Although ethanol is the dominant alcohol produced in the fermentation of sugars process, there are some byproducts in bioethanol product, such as organic impurities, water and organic acid. Determination of the impurity is important to prove the quality of produced bioethanol. Some of the impurities is not allowed in the product, such as methanol and others organic, that should be limited to control the performance from bioethanol as substituted fuel. Organic impurities of the bioethanol product was analyzed by using GC-FID while the water content was analyzed by using Karl Fischer Coulometric Moisture Titrator. In this research, the lignocellulosic bioethanol analyzed for the moisture content and organic impurities was undenatured one. The water content of the bioethanol sample was analyzed in 7 replicates where the average was 0.1776%-w (% RSD 2.0460). There are eight compounds of organic impurities detected in GC-FID that are acetaldehyde (0.0217%-w), acetone (0.0102%-w), ethyl acetate (0.0368%-w), methanol (0.0224%-w), isopropyl alcohol (0.0035%-w), n-propyl alcohol (0.0188%-w), isobutanol (0.0437%-w) and isoamyl alcohol (0.0377%-w).

Biomass and biogas energy in Thailand: Potential, opportunity and barriers

Biomass has been traditional energy source in rural Thailand for decades. Country modernization, instead of reducing the biomass energy consumption, has continuously increased its utilization for both households and production of modern energy. While the GDP/capita was triple during 1980–1996, the biomass energy consumption increased by 68%, and expected to be higher as signaled by the increasing number of new biomass power plants. The legal and financial support frameworks to increase renewable energy utilization was launched in 1992 aiming for the country to depend less on imported energy, which at present accounted for 7% of GDP. In this paper, biomass and biogas energy situation in Thailand is presented. Resource potential, the promotion program and its success and failure were analyzed to suggest new policy option recommendation. The amount of agricultural residues is about 61 million ton a year, of which 41 million ton, which is equivalent to about 426 PJ of energy, was unused. The most promising residues are rice husk, bagasse, oil palm residue and rubber wood residue, merely due to their availability at the mills, which heat–power cogeneration is feasible. Biogas resources are from industrial wastewater and live stocks manure, which have potential of 7800 and 13,000 TJ/y, respectively. Instead of having the legal and financial support frameworks, the success of biomass energy program in Thailand is doubtful. Discussion on mechanisms and measures based on the past policy, which has been implemented for over a decade, is presented. From lessons learned we propose new policy approach to, in our opinion, overcome the biomass energy utilization barrier in Thailand.

Incidence de l'aération sur le traitement par compostage des sous-produits du palmier dattier contaminés parFusarium oxysporumf.sp.albedinis

Composting of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) residues contaminated with Fusarium f.sp oxysporum albedinis, causal agent of the vascular wilt (Bayoud) of the date palm, has been achieved. The effect of the aeration of the piles by manual turning has been studied. The maintenance of an adequate humidity of 60%-70%, necessary to the good progress of the composting process, required the contribution of 11.4 L of water/kg of the dried residues. The evolution of the temperatures in the three piles presents the same phases. A latency phase, followed after 2-3 d of composting by a thermophilic phase, which lasts about 24 d, where the temperature remains elevated between 50 and 70 degrees C. Then a cooling phase that takes about 15 d, during which the temperatures fall to values between 25 and 35 degrees C, near room temperature. Fusarium f.sp oxysporum albedinis is eliminated completely during the thermophilic phase of composting, and increasing frequencies of turning accelerate its disappearance to a certain extent. On the other hand, pH remained steady and relatively basic oscillating between 8.2 and 8.7. Ninety percent (90%) of the the date palm residues are composed exclusively of organic matters. The total nitrogen represents only 0.4%. The contribution of manure decreases the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) from 115 to 48 in the initial mixture. After 80 d of composting and according to the frequency of return up, there is a reduction of the granulometry of the substratum, the C/N ratio (from 29% to 44%), the organic matter (from 15% to 23%), the total volume (from 25% to 35%), and of the dry weight of the swaths (from 16% to 24%). On the other hand there is an increase in total nitrogen rate (from 20% to 40%) and in the mineral matter (from 23% to 35%).

Minimizing the environmental burden of oil palm trunk residues through the development of laminated veneer lumber products

This paper discusses the results from the initiative that has been undertaken to utilize residues from oil palm re‐plantation, particularly the oil palm trunk (OPT) for the production of laminated veneer lumber (LVL). Efficient use of such residues is vital in order to minimize the environmental burdens associated with the disposal of the oil palm residues, thus ensuring the future growth of Malaysian palm oil industry. The bending and compression strength of the OPT LVL produced were accessed and compared with Malaysian oak (formerly known as rubberwood), timber species that is commonly used in the manufacture of furniture in Malaysia. Properties of OPT LVL were found almost comparable to solid Malaysian oak in terms of bending and compression strength. Combination of OPT veneers with several layers of Malaysian oak veneers during the process of LVL manufacturing has resulted in the improvement in bending and compression strength of the LVL as compared to those produced entirely from OPT. In addition, such practice also produced LVL board with far less variation in strength properties as compared to solid OPT properties. With further research and development embarked upon the gluability of the OPT materials, the overall performance of the OPT LVL could be improved for commercial utilization of OPT wastes in the near future. Development higher value‐added by‐products from oil palm industry residues, would benefit the industry through reduction of the overall environmental burden and would place it on a new environmentally sustainable platform.

Amelioration of Composting Process by Fertilizers

Six different composts, four of them produced from oil palm residues and two commercial composts, were studied for their stability and quality. The composts were analyzed for their total C, total N, C/N ratio, mineral N, nitrogen mineralization index, CO2 production, biomass C, specific respiration rate, germination rate, pH values and plant growth index. Composts of oil palm (Elaeis guineesis) trunk and oil palm empty fruit bunch treated with N and P showed good stability and higher quality as compared to other composts. Their C/N ratios were the lowest (14-18) but their pH values were comparatively low (4.6-6.4). They had a good amount of total N (0.95-1.84%) with higher nitrate than ammonium nitrogen. The specific respiration rates were very low (0.25-0.63) which is an indication that these two composts are stable. Plant growth test supported conclusions based on the microbiological tests. Their properties were considered as suitable for planting media application. Compost quality can be further improved by adding bunch ash, which has high values of pH and is also a by-product from the oil palm industry. The applied nitrogen mineralization index could not be used with all kinds of composts as stability index. Both of the commercial composts showed high C/N ratios (34-68) and very low values of total and mineral nitrogen compared to oil palm residues composts. They were considered having low nutritional value and not recommended for planting media application.

Evaluation of the bellier test in the detection of olive oil adulteration with vegetable oils

AbstractVirgin olive oil was mixed with eight vegetable oils (sunflower, soya bean, palm, linseed, cottonseed, corn, sesame, and olive residue) at various levels. The Bellier test was applied to find the minimum detectable adulteration level and the ‘sensitivity score’ for each oil. The test was inapplicable to sunflower and linseed oils regardless of the level in olive oil. It was successful in detecting olive residue, soya bean, palm, cottonseed, corn, and sesame oils at minimal levels of 730, 150, 130, 90, 60 and 10 g kg−1, respectively. The rancidity level of the adulterant oils did not affect the performance of the test in the case of sunflower, linseed and sesame oils. The sensitivity of the test decreased considerably with increasing peroxide value of the adulterant oil: soya bean, palm, cottonseed, corn and olive residue. However, the change in sensitivity level commenced at so high a peroxide value that it has no significance for practical purposes; at such levels of peroxidation the adulterated olive would be unmarketable and rejected by inspectors due to its poor sensory quality.