(MPOB Transfer of Technology)
Phosphate rock (PR) is used almost exclusively as P fertilizer for perennial crops in Malaysia. This is attributed to its rapid P dissolution and high P sorption capacity under the high rainfall and acidic soil conditions in the country. It is, of course, also cheap. For decades, Christmas Island Rock Phosphate (CIRP) was the main PR … Read more
Genetic engineering is a powerful tool to manipulate the genome of an organism for it to produce a new trait(s) or to change its existing trait(s). Plant genetic engineering involves procedures like gene isolation, characterization, modifi cation and, eventually, introduction and expression of the gene in the transgenic plant. It covers the fi elds of … Read more
The quality of palm oil is primarily determined by its content of free fatty acids (FFA) as they are easily oxidized to make the oil rancid. Sambanthamurthi et al. (1991) reported an increase in FFA in palm oil due to the action of an endogenous lipase. Lipases are one of the most studied groups of … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Generally, there are three ways to make soap stock: 1) saponification of oils/ fats, 2) neutralization of fatty acids, and 3) saponification of fatty acid methyl esters. Route (2) is more widely used, being the simplest and fastest, while (3) produces the best quality product although at somewhat greater cost. A conventional clear bar soap … Read more
There are three main types of bar soaps – opaque, translucent and transparent. The latter two are becoming increasingly important and gaining market share. They have an aesthetic appeal and are much milder than opaque soaps. Between them, transparent soap is more popular and commercially more attractive to produce. Consumers associate transparency with purity and … Read more