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The objective of this study was to find the optimum amount of montmorillonite (MMT) to be incorporated with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to enhance physicochemical properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB)-based regenerated cellulose (RC). In this research, RC was synthesised by mixing 6.5 wt% of OPEFB-MCC with 1-butyl,3-methylimidazolium chloride [BMIM]Cl ionic liquid at 75°C by continuous stirring. RC nanocomposites were prepared by adding 1-5 wt% of montmorillonite (MMT) into RC preparation base. Finished solutions of both types were subjected to solution casting process to obtain thin films. Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), water absorption and contact angle measurements were used as the characterisation tools. FTIR spectroscopy denotes the non-derivative behaviour of [BMIM]Cl ionic liquid. According to SEM images, moderate MMT loading is preferred since high MMT loading shows coarse morphology beyond 3 wt% of MMT. Tensile strength of RC 11 MPa was increased up to 30 MPa as maximum in 4 wt% of MMT loading. Compared with pure RC, TGA curves were shifted to right side with the increased MMT loading and that implies good thermal stability. The highest thermal stability can be seen when the MMT content is 4 wt% since its TGA curve was the rightmost than others. Therefore, MMT can be identified as a good inhibitor for RC to avoid thermal degradation at elevated temperatures. Water absorption was reduced as 91%-37% in 2 h and 96%-41% in 24 h when MMT was increased from 0-5 wt%. Similarly, their contact angle was increased from 30.5o-88.5o for the MMT loading of 0-5 wt%. According to all these results, 3-4 wt% of MMT loading can be proposed as the optimum amount to be added into an RC matrix to utilise these films in packaging, photocatalytic and electrically conductive applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to isolate cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) from oil palm fronds ( Elaeis guineensis) and its subsequent characterization. Isolation involves sodium hydroxide/anthraquinone pulping with mechanical refining followed by total chlorine free bleaching (includes oxygen delignification, hydrogen peroxide oxidation and peracetic acid treatment) before acid hydrolysis. Bleaching significantly decreased kappa number and increased α-cellulose percentage of fibers as confirmed by Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry standards. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that acid hydrolysis along with bleaching improved crystallinity index and thermal stability of the extracted nanocrystals. It was observed that CNC maintained its cellulose 1 polymorph despite hydrolysis treatment. Mean diameter as observed by TEM and average fiber aspect ratio of obtained CNC was 7.44 ± 0.17 nm and 16.53 ± 3.52, respectively making it suitable as a reinforcing material for nanocomposite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedimentation in river triggered by soil erosion has an impact on the ecosystem services. Application of natural biomass on residual as biodegradable material has been of great attention due to its environmental friendliness. In this study, oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and seaweed are applied as a composite to evaluate the water holding capacity and thickness swelling as soil stabiliser. The alkaline treatment is introduced to improve the surface bonding of fibres with binder. The dimensional stability test was conducted according to standard ASTM D 5229 to obtain average water absorption and thickness swelling. The average water absorption and thickness swelling for the nontreated composite are 297.07% (± 6.47) and 7.78% (± 3.34) respectively, while for the alkaline treated composite, it demonstrates lower water absorption (222.60% (± 4.38)) but higher thickness swelling 18.23% (± 4.23). This showed that both of the composites have high water content mainly due to dimensional stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs display better interface adhesion between OPEFB fibre and seaweed after alkaline treatment compare to non-treated composite. Fibre breakage was observed for the non-treated composite, suggesting that it is incapable to withstand the tension created by water during the immersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm fronds biomass was used as a source for isolation of cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW), and its subsequent characterization was done. Non-cellulosic components such as lignin, hemicellulose, and pectin were removed from the biomass by chemimechanical alkaline hydrogen peroxide method followed by sulphuric acid hydrolysis having different time duration of hydrolysis. Apart from the progressive reduction in peaks characteristic of hemicellulose and lignin dissolution, FTIR spectroscopy analysis showed that there were no significant variations in peak positions, signifying that the hydrolysis did not affect the chemical structure of CNW. FESEM showed that there was gradual reduction in the aggregated structure of fiber due to bleaching. Nanoscale structure of CNW was revealed by TEM. XRD analysis revealed that the natural structure of cellulose I polymorph was maintained irrespective of the hydrolysis time. High thermal stability and aspect ratio of the extracted CNW demonstrated its suitability as a reinforcement material in nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibers were taken from a 25-year-old oil palm tree. The cellulosic nanofiber (CNF) was isolated from the OPEFB using a chemo-mechanical process and utilized as reinforcement in an epoxy matrix. Various CNF loading percentages (0 to 0.75%) were applied in the epoxy matrix to explore the potential of using OPEFB-CNF as reinforcement. The morphological, mechanical, physical, and thermal characteristics of the OPEFB nanofiber-reinforced epoxy composites were evaluated. Results showed that the 0.25% and 0.5% CNF loadings were homogenously distributed and well-dispersed in the composite matrix. Conversely, agglomeration was detected in the matrix with 0.75% CNF loading. Determination of the water absorption behavior of CNF-reinforced epoxy composites at various loadings revealed that the physical properties of the composites increased with reinforcement loading. Furthermore, the analyses of the mechanical and thermal properties of the CNF-reinforced composites revealed that the incorporation of OPEFB-CNF enhanced the mechanical performance and thermal stability up to 0.5% loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of sulphuric acid hydrolysis and high-pressure homogenization as an effective chemo-mechanical process for the isolation of quality nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC). The cellulosic fiber was isolated from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) using acid hydrolysis methods and, subsequently, homogenized using a high-pressure homogenizer to produce NFC. The structural analysis and the crystallinity of the raw fiber and extracted cellulose were carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology and thermal stability were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses, respectively. The FTIR results showed that lignin and hemicellulose were removed effectively from the extracted cellulose nanofibrils. XRD analysis revealed that the percentage of crystallinity was increased from raw EFB to microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), but the decrease for NFC might due to a break down the hydrogen bond. The size of the NFC was determined within the 5 to 10 nm. The TGA analysis showed that the isolated NFC had high thermal stability. The finding of present study reveals that combination of sulphuric acid hydrolysis and high-pressure homogenization could be an effective chemo-mechanical process to isolate cellulose nanofibers from cellulosic plant fiber for reinforced composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to enhance the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the inner part of the oil palm trunk (IP-OPT) impregnated with oil palm shell (OPS) nanoparticles at various concentrations (0, 1, 3, 5, and 10%) and phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin. The PF concentration was 15% (w/w basis) throughout the study. The physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the OPS nanoparticleimpregnated IP-OPT lumber were analyzed according to various standards. It was found that IP-OPT gained a significant percentage of weight (up to 35.3%) due to the treatment, leading to a density increase from 0.42 to 0.89 g/cm³. The water absorption was reduced by up to 24%, which reduced the swelling coefficient, and thus, the anti-swelling efficiency was increased significantly. The tensile and flexural strengths increased from 9.77 to 19.64 MPa and from 14.46 to 38.55 MPa, respectively. The tensile and flexural moduli increased from 2.67 to 3.51 GPa and from 4.35 to 4.95 GPa, respectively, while the elongation at break decreased from 7.83 to 6.42%. The impact strength also increased significantly, from 6.90 to 15.85 kJ/m². In addition, the thermal stability of IP-OPT was improved by the impregnation of OPS nanoparticles. Thus, it can be concluded that the impregnation of IP-OPT with OPS nanoparticles might be a good treatment process for enhancing the properties of the IP-OPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and jute fibers were treated with 2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate (2-HEA) to improve interfacial bonding of oil palm EFB and jute fibers with epoxy matrix. Hybrid composites were fabricated by incorporation of modified oil palm EFB and jute fibers into an epoxy matrix by the hand lay-up technique. Mechanical (flexural and impact) and morphological properties of modified hybrid composites were measured. Results indicated that flexural and impact properties of modified fiber–reinforced hybrid composites improved as compared to untreated hybrid composites due to better fiber/matrix interfacial bonding, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. We confirmed that treated oil palm/jute hybrid composite may be fabricated by advanced techniques such as resin transfer molding, extrusion, and injection molding for industrial applications in the automotive sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this work, oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and jute fibers were treated by 2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate (2-HEA) to enhance interaction with the epoxy matrix in hybrid composites. Hybrid composites were fabricated by the hand lay-up technique by reinforcing chemical-treated oil palm EFB and jute fibers in an epoxy matrix. Physical (density, void content, water absorption, and thickness swelling) and chemical resistance properties of treated hybrid composites were characterized. Chemically treated oil palm EFB/jute fiber reinforced hybrid composites display better dimensional stability (water absorption and thickness swelling) and chemical resistance as compared to untreated hybrid composites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin treatment of OPTL with various concentrations of finely ground palm shell, together abbreviated PF- FGPS, has been used to improve termite resistance. Termite resistance was evaluated in two ways, in a laboratory test and in a field test that lasted 3 months. A feeding arena sample was prepared for the first experiment so that the responses of the subterranean termite (Coptotermes curvignathus (Holmgren)) and the drywood termite (Cryptotermes cynocephalus (Light)) to the laboratory test could be observed for 4 weeks and 12 weeks, respectively. In general, the PF- FGPS led to greater termite resistance than did the control (dried OPTL and rubberwood), and the resistance of the samples to the subterranean termite C. curvignathus was classified as moderate when the samples were treated with OPS meal. Meanwhile, the resistance of the samples to the drywood termite C. cynocephalus was classified as moderate when samples were treated with OPS meal concentrations of 0, 1, and 3%. The samples treated with 5% OPS meal were classified as resistant. In the field test, samples impregnated with OPS meal at levels of 3%, 5%, and 10% were classified as resistant, while those impregnated with OPS meal at levels of 0 and 1% were classified as moderately resistant to attack by the subterranean termite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated carbon derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch (AC-EFB), bamboo stem (AC-BS), and coconut shells (AC-CNS) were obtained by pyrolysis of agricultural wastes using two chemical reagents (HPO or KOH). The AC-EFB, AC-BS and AC-CNS were used as filler in preparation of epoxy nanocomposites. Epoxy nanocomposites prepared at 1, 5 and 10 % activated carbons filler loading using KOH and HPO chemical agents. Transmission electron microscopy confirms better dispersion of the nano-activated carbons in the epoxy matrix at 5 % activated carbon. The presence of 5 % AC-CNS in the epoxy matrix using HPO chemical reagent resulted in an improvement of the thermal stability of epoxy matrix. KOH treated AC filled epoxy nanocomposites were slightly better in thermal stability as compared to HPO treated AC filled epoxy nanocomposites, may be due to better interaction of filler with epoxy matrix. Thermal analysis results showed that thermal stability of the activated carbon filled epoxy nanocomposites improved as compared to the neat epoxy matrix. The degree of crystallinity of epoxy matrix was improved by adding the activated carbon due to interfacial interaction between AC and epoxy matrix rather than loading of AC alone. Developed nanocomposites from biomass (agricultural wastes) materials will help to reduce the overall cost of the materials for its demanding applications as insulating material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the effect of carbon black content on the tensile, electrical, and morphological properties of epoxy matrix. Carbon black–filled epoxy composites were obtained by mixing the desired amount of carbon black from bamboo stem (BS-CB), oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB-CB), and coconut shell (CNS-CB) with the epoxy resin. Tensile and electrical properties of carbon black from three different sources (BS-CB, EFB-CB, and CNS-CB) used to fill epoxy composite with 5% filler loading were measured and the results indicated improvement in tensile and electrical properties. The diffraction patterns of X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated nonlinear crystalline amorphous structure of the CB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-activated carbons obtained from oil palm empty fiber bunch (AC-EFB), bamboo stem (AC-BS), and coconut shells (AC-CNS) were reinforced in epoxy matrix to fabricate epoxy nanocomposites. The dynamic mechanical analysis of epoxy nanocomposites was carried out, and 5% AC-CNS treated with KOH-filled epoxy composites displayed the highest storage modulus of all the activated carbon–filled epoxy composites. The incorporation of a small amount of AC-BS, AC-EFB, and AC-CNS to the epoxy matrix enhanced the damping characteristics of the epoxy nanocomposites. The 5% AC-EFB treated with H3PO4filled epoxy composites showed the highest glass transition temperature (Tg) in all temperature ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Oil palm trunk (OPT) is a solid waste obtained in large quantities after the felling of oil palm trees and is available year-round. Scientists and industrialists face difficulties in utilizing these solid wastes for different applications due to great variations in their physical and mechanical properties. Because OPT consists of lignocellulosic materials, its cellulosic material is utilized in the production of panel products such as particleboard, medium density fibreboard, mineral-bonded particleboard, block board, and cement board. In order to control the OPT waste, it is essential to consider its alternative utilization inside buildings as lightweight construction materials and furniture. The impregnation of different resins in wood and non-wood materials can improve the quality of the OPT, making it possible to utilize OPT as raw materials for different applications. The enhanced properties and good appearance of impregnated OPT have found use in high-grade furniture and housing materials. In order to further evaluate its potential, this review has been compiled for the detailed study of various properties, characteristics, and applications of OPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The byproducts of palm oil production (nut shells, fibers, and EFB) were combusted to obtain organic waste nanofillers. The prepared nano-filler was characterized by different techniques, viz. XRD for degree of crystallinity, particle size, morphology, and spectroscopic methods. The average diameter found was between 93.39 and 192.20 nm, and the width was between 18.17 and 43.45 nm. The SEM images revealed various morphological arrangements of particles. XRD studies exhibited crystalline nature of both the raw and ground nanofillers. The elemental analysis of nanofillers was carried out by EDX, and FT-IR was used to assign the degree of stretching of various functional groups. In addition to C, N, and O, elemental analysis revealed the presence of Al, Mg, Si, P, K, Ca, Fe, S, Ti, and Mn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, impregnated oil palm trunks (OPT) and polymer composites were prepared from a combination of dried oil palm trunks with phenol formaldehyde (PF) and urea formaldehyde (UF) resin in different resin percentages using an impregnation method. Time of impregnation was a parameter used to control the percentage of resin content in the oil palm trunks. These studies investigated the effect of resin content and types of resin on the physical properties of impregnated OPT. Water absorption tests revealed that OPT polymer composite with 75% PF resin loading had increases of 21% and 26% for OPT polymer composites with 75% UF resin loading. The thickness swelling of OPT polymer composites with 75% PF resin loading exhibited the lowest value of 3.30% as compared with OPT polymer composite with 75% UF resin loading, which exhibited a value of 4.30%. The dimensional stability of the OPT polymer composites with the highest resin loading was slightly lower when compared to rubberwood. Scanning electron micrographs show that PF resin placement in OPT polymer composites was better, and resin penetration retained the original dried OPT structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi-layer hybrid biocomposites were fabricated by hand lay-up technique by reinforcing oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and jute fibre mats with epoxy matrix. Hybrid composites were prepared by varying the relative weight fraction of the two fibres. The physical (void content, density, dimensional stability), and chemical resistant properties of hybrid composites were evaluated. When the jute fibre loading increased in hybrid composites, physical and chemical resistant properties of hybrid composites were enhanced. Void content of hybrid composites decreased with an increase in jute fibre loading because jute fibres showed better fibre/matrix interface bonding, which leads to a reduction in voids. The density of hybrid composite increased as the quantity of jute fibre loading increased. The hybridization of the jute fibres with EFB composite improved the dimensional stability of the hybrid composites. The performance of hybrid composites towards chemical reagents improved with an increase in jute fibre loading as compared to the EFB composite. The combination of oil palm EFB/jute fibres with epoxy matrix produced hybrid biocomposites material that is competitive to synthetic composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect on morphological, spectroscopic, and thermal properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers (OPEFB fibers) and oil palm frond fibers (OPF fibers) following treatment and modification with sodium hydroxide and succinic anhydride, respectively, were investigated. The evidence of treatment was observed by weight gain and FT-IR. The effect of the treatment upon the fiber surfaces was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which indicated that succinic anhydride treatment led to smoother surfaces as compared to the sodium hydroxide. The thermal degradation was carried out by thermal gravimetric analysis, which exhibited a different degree of mass loss due to different treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm ash (OPA), a bio-agricultural waste from oil palm mills, was subjected to high-energy ball milling for 30 h and was converted into a nano-structured material. The nano-structured OPA was characterized for its particle size and crystallinity index by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The crystallite size obtained from TEM and XRD was found to be 50 nm and 54.32 nm respectively, and the crystallinity index of OPA was 66.54%. The shape and texture of raw and nano-structured OPA were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The raw OPA had an irregular shape with spongy and porous structure, while the nano-structured powder had a mostly irregular and crushed shape. The elemental studies of OPA used Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, XRD, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The elemental compositions found in OPA were silica, potassium oxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminium oxide, and iron oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, hybrid composite materials were prepared from combination of oil palm Empty fruit bunches (EFB) fibre and jute fibre as reinforcement, epoxy as polymer matrix. This study intended to investigate the effect of jute fiber hybridization and different layering pattern on the physical properties of oil palm EFB-Epoxy composites. Water absorption and thickness swelling test reveal that hybrid composite shows a moderate water absorption which is 11.20% for hybrid EFB/Jute/EFB composite and 6.08% for hybrid Jute/EFB/Jute composite. The thickness swelling and water absorption of the hybrid composites slightly increased as the layering pattern of hybrid composites changed. Hybrid composites are more water resistance and dimensional stable compare to the pure EFB composites. This is attributed to the more hydrophilic nature of EFB composites. Hybridization of oil palm EFB composites with jute fibres can improve the dimensional stability and density of pure EFB and Jute fibre reinforced composites has higher density of 1.2 g/cm compared to all other composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the physical and chemical properties of different oil palm wastes, viz. empty fruit bunch (EFB), oil palm frond (OPF) and oil palm trunk (OPT). A study (84 days duration) was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of an exotic earthworm species (epigeic-African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus euginae)) for the decomposition of different types of oil palm wastes (EFB, OPT and OPF) into valuable vermicompost. The decrease in earthworm’s biomass gain for EFB, OPT and OPF may be due to exhaustion of worm feed in vermicomposters. The percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in vermicompost was found to increase while pH and total organic carbon declined as a function of the vermicomposting period. The vermicompost obtained showed an increase in heavy metal content for all the reactors, but levels were still in the range of nutrient in the vermicompost. The data reveal that vermicomposting (using African Nightcrawler) is a suitable technology for the decomposition of oil palm wastes, especially EFB into value-added material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil burial tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of biodegradation on the mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact) and the mass loss of OPT fiber-filled RPP composites, as compared to control samples (virgin PP and RPP without filler). The composite samples were prepared using 30% w/w of OPT filler with a size of 100 µm. Compounding was carried out using a Haake Rheodrive 500 twin-screw compounder operating at 190°C and 8MPa for 30 min. The effect of biodegradation was performed in a perspex plastic apparatus for 12 months. Assessments of the mechanical properties and the percentage of mass loss were carried out at 3, 6, and 12 months of exposure in soil. The mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact) of materials deteriorate with an increase in exposure time. The effects of biodegradation increase with burial period, i.e., from 0 to 12 months. The tensile properties, flexural properties, and impact strength of the composites decrease by about 38--47%, 37--50%, and 47%, respectively, as compared to the value before the biological test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 25-year-old oil palm biomass (OPB) fiber-polypropylene (PP) composites are prepared by five different fiber loadings (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%). The types of OPB used are oil palm empty fruit bunches, oil palm frond, and oil palm trunk. Transmission electron microscopy has confirmed that the cell wall structures of the various oil palm fibers have different cell wall thicknesses and exhibit the same ultrastructure as that of wood. The fibers consist of middle lamella, primary, and thick secondary walls with different thicknesses for different types of fibers. The secondary wall is differentiated into a S1 layer, a unique multi-lamellae S2 layer, and a S3 layer. OPB fibers are compounded with PP using a Brabender DSK 42/7 twin screw extruder. The mechanical features such as tensile, flexural and impact properties of the OPB-PP composite are studied. The melt flow index (MFI) of the composite materials is also studied. Generally, the results show that lower fiber loading (10%) exhibits the highest tensile strength and MFI properties as compared to higher fiber loading (50%). Evidence of a fiber-matrix interphase is analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact properties) and water absorption of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) reinforced in new unsaturated polyester composites were studied. New OPEFB reinforced polyester composite derived from new unsaturated polyester resin containing bis-(2-hydroxylethyl) fumarate (monomer I) which was synthesized from ethylene glycol with fumaric acid in the presence of P-toluene sulfonic acid as catalyst was prepared. The chemical structure was confirmed by CHN analysis, FT-IR, and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. New unsaturated polyester was carried out by the condensation reaction between terepthaloyl chloride and monomer I. The chemical structure of this polymer was confirmed by CHN analyses, FT-IR, 1H-NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the determination of chemical composition and the study of morphological and cell wall structure of oil palm fibers. Cellulose is the main constituent in oil palm fibers, and oil palm trunk (OPT) fiber exhibited the highest content of extractives and lignin. Fiber morphological determination also showed that OPT fibers have the highest fiber length, diameter, and cell wall thickness. Observations of fiber cell wall layers using transmisson electron microscopy at ultrastructure level confirmed that cell wall layers of oil palm fiber have a structure similar to that of wood cell wall. Analysis also focused on the determination of lignin distribution within the cell wall layers using toluidine blue. In all fiber samples, the middle lamella appeared to demonstrate a higher level of lignification compared to that of other cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the combination of oil palm fiber and glass fiber as reinforcing fibers in polyester composites was evaluated. The mechanical and physical properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch/glass hybrid reinforced polyester composites were studied. Hybrid laminate composites with different weight ratios (w/w) of chopped strand mat (CSM) glass fibers: oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (EFB) 3 : 7, 5 : 5, 7 : 3, 9 : 1 were prepared. The hybrid effect of glass and EFB fibers on the tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness of the composites were investigated. Water absorption and thickness swelling were also conducted. In general the hybrid composites exhibited good properties compared to the EFB/polyester composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel approach to toughen the otherwise brittle unsaturated polyester resin (USP) in the polymer matrix biofiber composites. In contrast to the conventional method of incorporating the toughening agent in the matrix resin, the method used in the present investigation consisted in treating the biofiber (OPF) with the toughening resin before impregnating with USP resin. Accordingly biofiber was first impregnated with toughening resin, acrylonitrile-butadienne-styrene (ABS) to produce a pre-preg. The pre-preg was then impregnated with USP resin containing free radical initiator. The ABS content in the biofiber pre-preg was varied from 5 to 25%. Unsaturated polyester was reinforced with the pre-preg and cured in presence of MEKP to produce “hybrid composite”. The physical and mechanical properties of the composites were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tensile and impact behavior of the oil palm fiber-glass fiber hybrid bilayer laminate composites are studied. The fiber mats are impregnated with epoxy resin and cured at 100°C for 1 h followed by post curing at 105°C. The hybridization of the oil palm fibers with glass fibers increases the tensile strength, the Young's modulus, and also the elongation at break of the hybrid composites. A negative hybrid effect is observed for the tensile strength and Young's modulus while a positive hybrid effect was observed for the elongation at break of the hybrid composites. The impact strength of the hybrid composite increases with the addition of glass fibers. The hybrid composites which are impacted at the glass fiber layer exhibit a higher impact strength and a positive hybrid effect compared to those impacted at the oil palm fiber layer. The scanning electron micrographs and photomicrographs of tensile and impact fracture samples are taken to study the failure mechanism and fiber-matrix interface adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using oil palm trunk (OPT) layered with empty fruit bunch (EFB), so-called hybrid plywood enhanced with palm oil ash nanoparticles, with phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin as a binder, was produced in this study. The phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins filled with different loading of oil palm ash (OPA) nanoparticles were prepared and used as glue for layers of the oil palm trunk (OPT) veneer and empty fruit bunch fibre mat. The resulting hybrid plywood produced was characterised. The physical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the hybrid plywood panels were investigated. The results obtained showed that the presence of OPA nanoparticles significantly affected the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the plywood panels. Significant improvements in dimension from water absorption and thickness swelling experiments were obtained for the plywood panels with the highest OPA nanoparticles loading in PF resin. The mechanical properties indicated that plywood composites showed improvement in flexural, shear, and impact properties until a certain loading of OPA nanoparticles in PF resin. Fracture surface morphology also showed the effectiveness of OPA nanoparticles in the reduction of layer breakage due to force and stress distribution. The thermal stability performance showed that PF filled OPA nanoparticles contributed to the thermal stability of the plywood panels. Therefore, the results obtained in this study showed that OPA nanoparticles certainly improved the characteristic of the hybrid plywood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]