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Compressed lumber is considered to be a superior structural material due to its uniform properties and higher strength than other solid timbers. This study presents the effect of steaming on some properties of compressed lumber of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) trunks (OPT). The specimens were steamed at a temperature of 130 °C for 2 hours before being compressed in a hot press and evaluated for their physical and mechanical properties. Compressed OPT without steaming was used as a comparison sample to compare the effect of steaming on compressed OPT. The average modulus of rupture of steamed compressed OPT samples was 31.36 MPa, which was 8.7% higher than the compressed OPT without steaming samples. The modulus of elasticity was determined to be 8919 MPa, 9.9% higher than the compressed OPT samples. Steaming enhanced the dimensional properties of the samples. Thickness swelling and water absorption of the steamed compressed OPT samples were 6.57% and 33.84%, respectively, lower than those of the samples without steaming. Some other properties such as compression strength, dynamic bending strength, and the compression and recovery ratios were also evaluated. Scanning electron micrographs taken from the cross section of the samples showed a clear difference between the compressed and uncompressed oil palm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilization of oil palm trunk waste for production of environmental friendly binderless particleboard was studied. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the manufacturing conditions. The steaming temperature (100 to 120°C), steaming time (25 to 50 min), hot pressing temperature (180 to 220°C), and hot pressing time (15 to 30 min) were optimized in the ranges shown. The optimum conditions for making the particleboard were found to involve steaming for 46 min at a temperature of 120°C before it was compressed using a pressure of 12 MPa, at a temperature 215 °C for 29 min. The internal bond (IB) strength, modulus of rupture (MOR), thickness swelling (TS), and water absorption (WA) were 0.54 MPa, 8.18 MPa, 22%, and 51%, respectively. The residual values of actual and model-based calculated IB, MOR, TS, and WA were found to be 0.1 MPa, 0.23 MPa, 2%, and 4%, respectively, which shows the significance of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, calcium oxide activated Phoenix dactylifera(commonly known as Date palm) stone carbon (ADS) was prepared, characterized, and used as a unconventional adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions from aqueous solutions in a batch process. The obtained activated carbon was characterized for pore size distribution and total surface area using BET isotherm, surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy, and surface functional groups using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the amorphous nature of the ADS was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. The kinetic data obtained at different temperatures were analyzed by applying pseudofirst-order, pseudosecond-order, and Weber-Morris diffusion models, as well as the Elovich equation. The applicability of Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherms was evaluated to better understand the adsorption process. The results of this study revealed that ADS has a honeycomb like surface morphology with large mesoporous surface area (645.5 m2·g–1) for adsorption and removal of copper and nickel was followed the pseudosecond-order kinetics and Langmuir model of isotherms. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the heat of adsorption of Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions was −4.99 kJ·mol–1and −10.78 kJ·mol–1, respectively, which suggested that the adsorption was exothermic in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biocomposite was successfully prepared by blending montmorillonite (MMT)/hemicellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) through solution casting. The composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results displayed good compatibility between the mixtures of the blended MMT/hemicellulose and CMC due to the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction. There was an improvement in the thermal analysis through their thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mechanical properties (tensile strength and tensile modulus), and water vapor permeability (WVP). The best values of tensile strength and tensile modulus of 47.5 MPa and 2.62 MPa, respectively, were obtained from 60H-40CMC-MMT nanocomposite films. The results showed that the mixture of the blended MMT/hemicelluloses and CMC produced a robust nanocomposite film with improved physical and mechanical properties, demonstrating that it is a promising candidate for green packaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to use oil palm trunks more effectively, a new method was investigated to estimate the weight-based ratio of vascular bundles (VB) to parenchyma tissue (PT) in study materials taken from oil palm trunks, by using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy based on chemical analyses of the composition. The VB and PT were carefully separated by hand from oil palm trunks using a polarizing microscope to ensure purity, and then they were mixed at certain ratios. As the VB ratio was increased, extractives, lignin, hemicellulose, and starch contents decreased, while the alpha-cellulose content increased. By using NIR spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares regression analysis, we could predict the ratio of VB to PT with an accuracy of R² = 0.99. Absorption peaks significantly affecting estimation were observed at 1929, 2104, 2276, and 2335 nm, which were assigned to the chemical compositions of cellulose and starch. The NIR absorbance is considered to reflect the ratio of VB to PT, according to the compositions of cellulose and starch in oil palm trunks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]