Oil palms can be distinguished based on the colour of their fruit coats. The two most common types are nigrescens (Nig) and virescens (Vir) (Figure 1). Vir fruits undergo a clear colour change on ripening, making it easier to identify the ripe bunches for harvesting. The fruits of the more commonly occurring Nig palms undergo only […]

Polyglycerols and their derivatives have a broad range of applications (Table 1). MPOB has developed a process to produce polyglycerols (Figure 1) by microwave heating with a substantially reduced reaction time. Glycerol is polymerized at elevated temperatures, preferably 250ºC-270ºC, in the presence of a catalyst. However, a drawback is the tendency to produce highly coloured […]

The skin is a barrier between the body and the environment, and any stress imposed by the environment can affect it. Cracked heels are a common foot problem, generally occurring in hot tropical climates, but also in summer and winter in the temperate countries. Heels crack from excessive water loss from the skin, causing it […]

Hand dish washing detergents remove food soils, hold soil in suspension as well as provide long-lasting suds to indicate how much cleaning power is left in the wash water. They are available as liquids, gels, powders and solids. MPOB has developed a firm, mild, good performing, low-smear solid dish washing product from palm sulphonated methyl esters […]

With soaring petroleum prices, polyols from vegetable oils are increasingly viable alternatives to petroleum polyols. MPOB has developed a palm-based polyol for the polyurethane (PU) industry, which consumes 4.5 million tonnes worldwide annually. The polyol is produced from palm fatty acids, and can be made into PU coating, adhesives, sealants and elastomers. The fatty acids […]