Search

This study reports on the effects of dry heating of oil palm fruits for the purpose of sterilization and solvent extraction with various oil parameters. Steam sterilization of oil palm fresh fruit bunches was required as a pre-treatment to deactivate enzymes that give rise to Free Fatty Acids (FFA) before the oil could be extracted. While the use of high-pressure steam was effective, large amount of water used ends up as palm oil mill effluent, which requires appropriate treatment. Dry heating of oil palm fruits was carried out in an oven for 1-4 and 5 min time duration. The heated fruits were extracted for its oil by solvent means. Oil yield, Deterioration Of Bleachability Index (DOBI), oxidative stability and FFA content were investigated. The FFA content in the oil extracted from dry heated oil palm fruits ranged from 1.02-2.19%, DOBI from 4.19-6.72 and oxidative stability from 14.3-19.1 h. Dry heated oil palm fruits yield crude oil with comparable quality to that of commercial crude palm oil, which is steam sterilized.

Palm oil is known to host a variety of phytonutrients; some having antioxidant property such as the carotenes and vitamin E. These antioxidants are also present in the oil recovered from the palm-pressed fibre. Study was carried out to investigate the presence of coenzyme Q10, yet another non-glyceride compound which possesses antioxidant property in crude palm oil (CPO) and palm fibre oil. Separation of coenzyme Q10 in CPO and palm fibre oil was carried out using supercritical fluid chromatography with ultra violet detection. 1H and 13C NMR were used for its characterisation. Calibration with authentic standard shows that there are 10-80 ppm coenzyme Q10 in CPO while its concentration in palm fibre oil is 1000-1500 ppm.

This study described the extraction of residual oils of spent bleaching earth (SBE) from palm oil refining industry, the properties and applications of residual oils obtained there from. Residual oils of SBE (acid-activated, WAC and neutral, NC) were recovered via solvent and supercritical-fluid (SC-CO2) extraction. The yields of residual oils recovered from WAC were higher than those from NC using solvent and SC-CO2 extraction respectively. Both the residual oils recovered from WAC and NC had fatty acids composition (FAC) similar to that of crude palm oil. These oils exhibited poor qualities in terms of free fatty acids (FFA) content and peroxide value (PV). As the residual oils had very high FFA value (more than 10%), they were no longer suitable for food applications. Alternatively, these oils can be converted to their respective methyl esters for biofuel and other non-food applications as they were thermally and chemically stable with induction period of up to 29 h in Rancimat test. The methyl esters conversion via esterification and transesterification gave optimum yields of more than 80%. The methyl esters obtained have comparable fuel properties as petroleum diesel; hence, they can be used as diesel substitute.

Anaerobic production of hydrogen from palm oil mill effluent (POME) by microflora was investigated in 5-l bioreactor at 60 °C and pH 5.5. POME sludge was collected from the anaerobic pond of a POME treatment plant at a palm oil mill and used as a source of inocula. A batch reactor was found to yield a total of 4708 ml H2H2/(l POME) and the maximum evolution rate was 454 ml-H2H2/(l POME h). A fed batch process was conducted after 50 h. Two liters of reaction medium was removed and 2 l of fresh POME was added to the reactor every 24 h (15 times). The reproducibility of the fed batch process checked by changing the feeding time every 8 h (10 times). A yield of 2382 ml H2H2/(l POME) and 2419 ml H2H2/(l POME) at maximum evolution rate of 313 ml H2H2/(l POME h) and 436 ml H2H2/(l POME h) were obtained, respectively. Throughout the study, methane gas was not observed in the evolved gas mixture.

Anaerobic production of hydrogen from palm oil mill effluent (POME) by microflora was investigated in 5-l bioreactor at 60 °C and pH 5.5. POME sludge was collected from the anaerobic pond of a POME treatment plant at a palm oil mill and used as a source of inocula. A batch reactor was found to yield a total of 4708 ml H2H2/(l POME) and the maximum evolution rate was 454 ml-H2H2/(l POME h). A fed batch process was conducted after 50 h. Two liters of reaction medium was removed and 2 l of fresh POME was added to the reactor every 24 h (15 times). The reproducibility of the fed batch process checked by changing the feeding time every 8 h (10 times). A yield of 2382 ml H2H2/(l POME) and 2419 ml H2H2/(l POME) at maximum evolution rate of 313 ml H2H2/(l POME h) and 436 ml H2H2/(l POME h) were obtained, respectively. Throughout the study, methane gas was not observed in the evolved gas mixture.

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) sludge, sludge compost from Malaysia and CREST compost from Philippines were collected for the study. The capability of these microflora to produce hydrogen was examined with 500 ml artificial wastewater containing 1% glucose, 0.2% yeast extract and 0.018% magnesium chloride hexahydrate under anaerobic fermentation in a batch culture. The microflora in POME sludge, sludge compost and CREST compost were found to produce significant amounts of hydrogen. The maximum production yield of hydrogen per decomposed glucose was 2.1 mol/mol-glucose at a conversion rate of 0.137 L/(L-medh) at 50°C obtained by sludge compost. All fermentations were carried out without pH control. It was also found that the addition of nitrogen source in the medium caused a change in hydrogen produced. There was no methane gas in the evolved gas.

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) sludge, sludge compost from Malaysia and CREST compost from Philippines were collected for the study. The capability of these microflora to produce hydrogen was examined with 500 ml artificial wastewater containing 1% glucose, 0.2% yeast extract and 0.018% magnesium chloride hexahydrate under anaerobic fermentation in a batch culture. The microflora in POME sludge, sludge compost and CREST compost were found to produce significant amounts of hydrogen. The maximum production yield of hydrogen per decomposed glucose was 2.1 mol/mol-glucose at a conversion rate of 0.137 L/(L-medh) at 50°C obtained by sludge compost. All fermentations were carried out without pH control. It was also found that the addition of nitrogen source in the medium caused a change in hydrogen produced. There was no methane gas in the evolved gas.