Cosmetics and toiletries cover a wide range of products and can be divided into four main categories, i.e skin care, hair care, oral hygiene and colour cosmetics. The two most dynamic sectors are the skin care and hair care and much of the growth is seen in the Asia Pacific region ( Shaw 1996, SPC ASIA Oct/Nov […]

The oil palm industry in Malaysia is producing more than 30 million tonnes of cellulosic materials from oil palm fronds (OPF), empty fruit bunches (EFB) and felled trunk (OPT) each year. The availability of oil palm biomass amounts to seven times the total wood used in Malaysia. Therefore, the wood-based industry should consider using more […]

Malaysia has more than 3.01 million hectares under oil palm cultivation in 1998. Besides producing palm and kernel oils, the industry also generates more than 30 million tonnes annually of biomass (EFB) and trunks (OPT) in harvesting, processing and replanting the crop, respectively. About two fronds are pruned from each palm per month during harvesting of […]

The paper industry use large and expensive equipment. For example, the cost of a single paper machine complex runs close to US$300 million and a fully-integrated bleached kraft pulp and paper mill costs almost US$1.5 billion. Such capital requirements for the construction of a conventional pulp mill has caused many investigators to take a fresh look […]

The use of cosmetic products is as old as civilization. During ancient times, people had already begun to use a variety of items to enhance their appearance. The renaissance era saw a wider acceptance of cosmetic products. This was the period of rose water, homemade soap, cucumber cream and rice powder. With development and improvement […]