Agglomeration Decrement from Nanocellulose Synthesis by adding PVA Capping Agent

Composites polyvinyl alcohol filled with nanocellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and oil palm fronds (OPF) have investigated. Nanocellulose prepared by formic acid 50 wt%. Functional groups and degree of crystalline of nanocellulose were analyzed by FTIR and XRD. The degree of crystalline nanocellulose presented at 2θ at intensity of 22.26 and 21.86 for OPEFB and OPF. Amorphous part of nanocellulose at intensity of 14.68 and 15.86 for OPEFB and OPF. Functional group of nanocellulose give the same pattern for OPEFB and OPF. Nanocellulose reinforce in polyvinyl alcohol as many as 1, 5, 10 and 20% and as a comparison with polyvinyl alcohol without filler. Eight of composite films and one of vinyl alcohol film have studied mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break, and also functional groups. The tensile strength of OPF 5% and 10% increased than polyvinyl alcohol matrix. Tensile strength OPEFB 10% slightly increase from polyvinyl alcohol. The elongation of composites both OPEFB and OPF decreased with increased of nanocellulose loading.

The utilization of non-wood biomass for fuels and chemicals production is widely studied in recent years. This paper reported the application of trichloroacetate as catalyst in the production of cellulose acetate from paddy (Oriza sativa) rice straw and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) empty fruit bunch (EFB). Firstly, pre-treatment by using H2O in acidic condition was carried out prior to the soda pulping by using NaOH 10%, solid to liquid ratio 1:7. The pre-treatment and pulping aim to separate cellulose from lignin and hemicellulose. Furthermore, in order to purify the cellulose, bleaching was applied to the pulps by using NaClO2 0.5% and H2O2 10%. Finally, the paddy rice straw pulp and oil palm EFB pulp were subjected to the acetylation by using acetic anhydride as acetylating agent in CH3COOH condition with catalyst CCl3COOH and H2SO4. The analysis results by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that C=O stretching from cellulose acetate at around 1730 cm−1. Furthermore, the morphological surface and crystallinity of the raw materials and products was analysed by using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The acetylated cellulose diameter and cristallinity decreased after the acetylation reaction.

Railway brake block is one of the most important components of the braking system of a railway vehicle. Materials for railway brake blocks are commonly made from metal or composite. The metallic brake blocks have some disadvantages that are heavy, low wear-resistant and has potential in generating a spark. While the composite brake blocks do not have those disadvantages. Natural fiber from oil palm empty fruit bunches as the waste from the production of palm oil can be used as a composite constituent. This composite brake blocks made from oil palm empty fruit bunches as reinforcement, phenol resin as matrix, and alumina, magnesium oxide and iron powder as a friction modifier. Density, hardness, coefficient of friction, compressive strength and flexural strength tests were carried out to determine the mechanical characteristic of the composite railway brake block material. The railway brake block test results consist of the density of 1.96 g/cm3, the hardness of 57.6 HRB, coefficient of friction of 0.43, the compressive strength of 37.1 MPa, and flexural strength of 33 MPa. There are three samples of volume fraction combination with 20% of oil palm empty fruit bunch in sample 1, 15% oil palm empty fruit bunch in sample 2 and 10% oil palm empty fruit bunch in sample 3. Percentage of MgO is adjusted to compensate the volume fraction of oil palm empty fruit bunch in the sample. Sample test results show that composite with volume fraction 10% of oil palm empty fruit bunch, phenolic resin of 30%, Al2O3 of 25%, MgO of 20%, iron powder of 15% has better mechanical properties for the alternative composite railway brake block material as compared to the other two.

Oil palm cultivation on peatlands is of great importance for improving the wellbeing of farmers. Managing peatlands is challenged by poor nutrient availability and low nutrient retention. Applying ameliorants and fertilizers is required to enhance peat soil properties. This study aimed to assess the effect of biochar and ash from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs), dolomite, and mineral fertilizers on peat soil quality and fertility. The field experiment was conducted on young oil palm cultivation in the peatland of Palalawan regency, Riau province, Indonesia, by using a randomized block design with two treatment factors. The first factor was the ameliorant: dolomite, dolomite + ash from OPEFB, and dolomite + biochar from OPEFB. The second factor was the dose of NPK compound fertilizer: NPK with standard recommendation dose, NPK with site‐specific recommended dose, and NPK with farmer’s dose. The observed parameters included soil properties, leaf nutrient status, and midrib characteristics. Assessing the treatment effect used an analysis of variation and treatment mean comparison using the Tukey test. The results showed that ash and biochar from OPEFB improved peat soil pH, electrical conductivity, available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), and the growth of oil palm plants. Applying NPK fertilizer using the site‐specific recommendations dose improved soil properties, leaf nutrient status (N, P, and K), and the growth of one‐year‐old oil palms. The utilization of ash and biochar from OPEFB may reduce agricultural lime on peatlands.

The waste of palm oil industry that can be used as raw materials for pulp making industry is palm oil empty fruit bunches. The common method used in the pulp production process is Formacell. However, formacell process produced dark pulp because of high lignin content. Therefore it needs further process called delignification. This process utilized H2O2 in acetic acid media to improve pulp qualities. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of different concentrations of H2O2 in acetic acid media on the characteristics of pulp formacell from palm oil empty fruit bunches. The experiment was arranged in a Complete Randomized Block Design with a single treatment and 3 replications. The treatment was nine levels of H2O2 concentration ( 0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, 15%, 18%, 21%, 24%) in acetic acid media at a temperature of 85oC for 3 hours. The data homogenity and additivity were analyzed using Berlett and Tuckey Tests, then they were analyze for ANOVA to see any difference in the data and then tested further using Ortogonal Polinomial. The results showed that the concentration of H2O2 in acetic acid media had significant effect on yield, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and color of pulp from palm-oil empty fruit bunches. The result of ortogonal polynomial test showed the increase in concentrations of H2O2 in acetic acid media linearly decreased yield and hemicellulose, linearly increased organoleptic color score, quadratically decreased lignin content , and quadratically increased cellulose until concentration 50% of H2O2 in15% acetic acid media, beyond that, the cellulose content decreased. The best results showed that 50% of H2O2 in 15% of acetic acid media cooked for 3 hours gave the best pulp. This pulp contained cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin of 84.494% 6.319% and 5.691% . The yield was 84.85%, and the average organoleptic score for color was 4. Keywords: acetic acid, delignification, formacell pulp, H2O2, oil palm empty fruit bunches

Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) is one of the most economical perennial oil crops for its valuable oil-producing fruits in tropical regions such as West Africa and South-East Asia. During oil extraction process, these fruits are usually stripped from the fruit bunches leaving behind empty bunches to be discarded as residues. Thus, empty fruit bunches (EFB) of Elaeis guineensis are usually considered as waste in the oil palm industry. The abundance of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) has created enormous environmental issue, ranging from fouling, attraction of pests, greenhouse gas emissions to soil acidification, thus posing very serious threats to humans and the environment. Globally, in 2014 alone, over 22.4 million tons of EFB were estimated to have been produced. Therefore, exploring eco-friendly disposal methods and productive utilisation of oil palm EFB as alternative fibrous material for papermaking becomes imperative in converting waste to wealth, and initiating environmental wellness. Elaeis guineensis empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibre on the average measures 0.99 μm in length, while the fibre diameter and cell wall thickness are 19.1 μm and 3.38 μm respectively. Fibres of EFB are of ligno-cellulosic materials, consisting on the average of an estimated cellulosic content of 30–50%, 15–35% of hemicelluloses and the lignin constituting about 20–30% of extractive-free fibre. The rich cellulose base of EFB fibre makes Elaeis guineensis a good potential resource for papermaking furnish moreso that the pulp and paper industry is often referred to as the cellulose industry. Every 5 tons of EFB gives 1 ton of pulp for papermaking. This book chapter will therefore attempt to examine the fibre morphological characteristics of oil palm empty fruit bunch, the chemical properties of EFB fibre, papermaking potentials of empty fruit bunches and ultimately their impact on the environment.

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) are wastes from oil palm processing. The objective of this work is to study the effect of composition on the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of OPEFB epoxy resin biocomposite. Particles of OPEFB (100 mesh) were mixed with epoxy resin with the ratio of OPEFB to epoxy resin 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, and 90/10 (vol.%/vol.%). Biocomposites were produced by a press method at room temperature with 9 tons-load. The physical properties (density, porosity, water absorption, thickness swelling) of the biocomposite were evaluated. The mechanical properties (modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity) of biocomposite were determined by using a universal testing machine. The thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) was used to examine the thermal properties of the biocomposite. The results show that the density of biocomposite is 1.18 g/cm3 for 60 vol.% of OPEFB composition. It decreases significantly as the OPEFB composition increases. For 60 vol.% of OPEFB, the porosity, water absorption, and thickness swelling of biocomposite (after soaking in water for 24 hours) are 11.9%, 10.1%, and 6.5%, respectively. All these values increase significantly with the increase of OPEFB composition. For 60 vol.% of OPEFB, the modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of biocomposite are 2.31 kgf/mm2 and 267 kgf/mm2, respectively. The values of MOR and MOE decrease significantly with the increase in OPEFB composition. TGA results show that degradation of biocomposites occurs significantly at 350°C for 60 vol.% OPEFB. The degradation temperature reduces as the composition of OPEFB increases. In general, the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of biocomposites decrease with increasing OPEFB composition. This happens because the bond between the matrix and the particles decreases as the OPEFB composition increases. The maximum OPEFB composition that can be used for particleboard applications is 80 vol.%, which meet the ANSI 208.1-2009 requirements for application as grade M-2 particleboard.

Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) and mesocarp can mainly be used as a raw material for nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), which was previously converted into α-cellulose. Although this biomass is abundant, it needs to be observed that which part of the OPEFB and mesocarp are more suitable to be used as a raw material for NCC in terms of the characteristics of α-cellulose, especially the degree of crystallinity. To isolate α-cellulose, the lignocellulose material was dissolved into acid, delignified to remove lignin and bleached, then dissolved it with NaOH 17.5%. The samples were then analyzed for the composition of fiber chemicals, determined the yield of α-cellulose, degree of crystallinity (XRD), functional groups (FTIR) and surface morphology (SEM). From the observation, it is known that OPEFB fibers have relatively higher cellulose levels the mesocarp fibers. From the visual appearance, α-cellulose color of OPEFB is whiter than the mesocarp. Comparatively, the yield of α-cellulose and the degree of crystallinity of fiber and α-cellulose OPEFB are higher than the mesocarp. The observation of functional groups showed that there was a difference between fiber and α-cellulose, but there was no difference between α-cellulose and OPEFB and mesocarp. The observation of the surface morphological structure of α-cellulose shows that the OPEFB has a more unified structure by forming regular microfibrils, while the mesocarp surface is irregular. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that OPEFB fibers are more suitable to be used as raw material for nanocrystalline cellulose than mesocarp fibers.

The oil and raffia palm species are indigenous to West and Central Africa, and their exploitation both at industrial and artisanal scale generate important quantities of renewable fibrous biomass that can be converted to high and low value bio-based products. Fibre samples were prepared from three raffia palm species drawn from three locations and Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) from an industrial palm oil mill, all in the South West Region of Cameroon. The samples were tested for chemical composition using wet chemical methods and an elemental analyzer. The functional groups were determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR) spectroscopy while morphological analysis and crystallinity were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction respectively. The results obtained show that extractives-free raffia palm fibres are similar to OPEFB with respect to lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose contents, morphology, occurrence of silica bodies on the surface of fibres and internal porosity. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated that the diameter of raffia fibre were larger than those of OPEFB stalk and spikelet fibres. The content of extractives determined by gravimetric method showed significantly lower values for raffia biomass compared to EFB fibres. The response of the fibres to hypochlorite treatment as revealed by FT-IR and morphological studies was very similar. The raffia fibres reflected significantly lower ash content and the powder X-ray studies showed slight differences in crystallinity index between raffia and OPEFB. The variability in key characteristics of biomass from the different species of palm are within the limits of the variability shown by biomass from the same species of plants. This leads to the conclusion that, the two types of palm which are both indigenous to the West and Central Africa can serve as source of blended renewable biomass. Promotion of cultivation and conservation of existing raffia plantations presents as a strategy for a more sustainable supply of biomass feedstock for bio-based products. Key words: Raffia palm, oil palm, fiber sample, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Oil palm is a major plantation in Indonesia, producing significant waste like oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs). For every ton of crude palm oil, 1.1 tons of waste are generated. OPEFBs, rich in cellulose, are promising raw materials for nanocellulose production, which has valuable applications in food, cosmetics, and biomedicine. This study investigated nanocellulose production using an ultrasound method (Ultrasonic FS, 300 W), a green and cost-effective technology. The research explored the impact of ultrasonic treatment duration (30, 60, and 90 minutes) on nanocellulose’s structure and properties. Nanocellulose was produced from microfibre cellulose derived from OPEFBs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) was used to assess morphology, average diameter, and diameter distribution, while Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysed total crystalline index (TCI), lateral order index (LOI), and hydrogen bond intensity (HBI). Results showed that nano-dimensioned cellulose fibres were observed, and 60 minutes of ultrasonic treatment was optimal, yielding nanocellulose with an average diameter of 8.939 ± 0.714 nm and a diameter distribution of 1-60 nm. While ultrasonic treatment did not significantly affect the TCI value (from 1.0769 to 1.0915), it slightly altered the chemical composition, as indicated by spectral patterns at wavenumbers 3300 cm-1 and 1427 cm-1, showing increased intensity of OH-stretch and CH2 bond (corresponding to the cellulose crystallinity band), correlating with increased HBI (from 0.5890 to 0.9754) and LOI values (from 0.9792 to 1.1394). Thus, the ultrasound method proved to be a promising and efficient approach for synthesizing nanocellulose.

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) are the lignocellulosic complex organic waste material from palm oil mills that is cheap, environmentally friendly, and abundant in Indonesia. Slow degradation of OPEFB becomes a problem for oil palm plantations. OPEFB which has decayed naturally for 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years were obtained from the Oil Palm Plantation, PTPN VIII Cikasungka, Bogor, Indonesia. In this study, fungal and bacterial diversity in naturally decaying OPEFB in plantations was identified using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the ITS2 for fungal, the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene, and the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene for bacterial. Bacterial diversity in decaying OPEFB was dominated by the phylum Planctomycetes (40-60%), whereas most of the fungal sequences taken belonged to Ascomycota (60-90%). Biodiversity profile resulting from metagenomic analysis is useful for increasing knowledge about microbial composition in the natural degradation process of OPEFB. The resulting data can be used to compare the diversity of bacteria at different weathering times and depths. In-depth observation of the diversity of lignin-degrading microbes from the natural decomposition of OPEFB has the potential to discover novel enzymes and ligninolytic activities that are useful for the fast degradation of OPEFB, production of biofuels based on enzymatic technology, and the development of high value-added biomass products.

Palm oil is one of the leading global commodities, and Indonesia is one of the largest palm oil producers in the world. One of the solid wastes generated from oil palm industrial activities is oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB). The annual accumulation of OPEFB in Indonesia is 126,317.54 tons/year, and it increases with increasing palm oil production. The cellulosic content of OPEFB is a potential substrate for anaerobic digestion to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs). This study used chemical pretreatment (NaOH 8% w/V) for OPEFB delignification before the anaerobic digestion for VFAs production. Digested cow manure (DCM) was used as the inoculum. Process optimization of producing VFAs is challenging because VFAs act as intermediate products in the metabolic pathway of anaerobic digestion. In general, the temperature can affect the activity of hydrolytic and acidogenic facultative microorganisms. It increases the hydrolysis rate of organic polymers to more soluble forms and improves the performance of anaerobic reactors for the formation of VFAs. This study examines the effect of temperature on the anaerobic digestion process of OPEFB for VFAs production in a batch reactor. The temperature varied in mesophilic (29 °C) and thermophilic (55 °C) conditions. This study showed that anaerobic digestion in the thermophilic conditions produces almost thrice VFAs compared to the mesophilic process. The highest accumulation of VFAs in both reactors occurred on the seventh day, i.e., 3311.57 ± 89 mg.L−1 at ORP -163 ± 16 mV in the thermophilic reactor and 1307 ± 42 mg.L−1 at ORP -224 ± 32 mV in the mesophilic reactor. Acetic acid was the dominant VFA in each reactor. The VFA production in thermophilic reactor (RT) reached 59% of the stoichiometric potential. Although the thermophilic condition improves the VFA yield compared to the mesophilic condition, further study is still needed to increase the VFA production from OPEFB.

This research work aims to investigate the synergistic effect of pozzolanic materials such as oil palm ash (OPA) and oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) on the developed hybrid polymer composites. The OPEFB and OPA fillers of different particle sizes (250, 150, and 75 µm) were mixed at OPEFB:OPA ratios of (0:100; 20:80; 40:60; 60:40; 80:20 and 100:0) and incorporated into an unsaturated polyester resin. Furthermore, both mechanical and morphological properties of the composites were analyzed and it was found that tensile, flexural, and impact properties were significantly improved at OPEFB:OPA of 75 µm particle size hybridization of the polymer. The increase of OPEFB to OPA filler ratio up to 80:20 significantly improved the tensile properties of the composites while 40:60 ratio of 75 µm gave the optimum filler ratio to obtain the highest flexural and impact properties of the composites among all studied samples. Scanning electron micrograph images showed strong particle dispersion of the embedded fillers with resin which explained the excellent mechanical strength enhancement of the composite.

Abundant oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) generated from the palm oil mill industry create huge problems for the environment and the palm oil mill itself. Despite the importance of determining the amount of oil left in the OPEFB, little research of that nature has been reported. This study describes the oil content and physicochemical characteristics of OPEFB fibers, detection of oil attachment on the fiber’s surface using sudan red dye, contact angle values, and also the quality of the residual oil. The OPEFB fibers, which are normally used as mulch for the palm oil mill, have been found to be a rich source of lignocellulosic materials, especially cellulose, which constitutes 33.70 to 35.10% for a press-shredded fiber. Residual oil (3 to 7% on dry basis) extracted from the OPEFB exhibits good quality parameters such as deterioration of bleachability index (DOBI), free fatty acid (FFA), and peroxide value (PV). The DOBI values were still in the acceptable range, which is from 1.94 to 2.43, while the PV results are within the range of about 1.84 to 2.80 meq/kg. The major fatty acids of the residual fiber oil were palmitic and oleic acids, at 39.77% to 39.89% and 39.55% to 42.60%, respectively. There were no significant changes in the macronutrients and quality of the OPEFB residual oil. Therefore, the residual oil from the OPEFB should be recovered and reused as a raw material for industrial applications, boosting the oil extraction rate (OER) in the palm oil industry.

Mechanical and physical properties of binderless particleboard made from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) with addition of natural binder