(MPOB Transfer of Technology)
A solvent-free glycerolysis process has been developed to convert free fatty acids (FFA) into neutral oil using fatty acids distillates from vegetable oil refinery. The process is a catalystfree reaction and able to achieve 98% conversion of FFA into neutral oil. The neutral oil produced can be transesterified into fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The … Read more
The importance of monitoring crude palm oil (CPO) quality cannot be overemphasised when we consider the fact that good-quality refined oils must be produced from high quality CPO. The trend to produce CPO with low (<1.5%) free fatty acid (FFA) has increased among the millers as it commands a premium price due to its hygienic … Read more
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) has high soluble and insoluble organic materials, which contribute to its high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) content, thus, posing a challenge in treating it. More challenges are anticipated if the limit of BOD level below 20 ppm were to be imposed by the Department of Environment. Currently, the industry is … Read more
Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a byproduct of palm oil refinery process, comprising mostly fatty acids (70% as palmitic acid) and some valuable minor components such as vitamin E, sterols, and squalene (Table 1). PFAD has various food and non-food applications such as animal feed, feedstock for laundry and toilet soaps. PFAD can be … Read more
Xylooligosaccharides (XO) is a sugarbased product of lignocellulosic material produced from forestry, agricultural or industrial wastes. They possess a variety of beneficial health properties particularly in prebiotic activities and as food additives. Malaysia produces an abundance of oil palm biomass, in which one of it is empty fruit bunch (EFB). EFB is about 21%-22% of … Read more
The physical and mechanical properties of oil palm trunk (OPT) are far from homogeneous (Kamarudin et al., 2011). The conversion of OPT to sawnlumber has to be carried out immediately, as long-term storage may not be economical. This is to prevent insect and fungal attacks due to high moisture and starch contents (Nur Syuhada et … Read more
Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) contains about 70%-80% holocellulose; which comprises about 40%-45% and 30%-35% of cellulose and hemicelluloses respectively; and 18%-22% lignin. Cellulose is a polymer of α-D-1,4-linked anhydrous glucose units, (C6H12O5 )n. Basically, the individual cellulose molecules are linked together to form elementary microfibrils, which, in turn are aggregated by intermolecular hydrogen bonding … Read more
Activated carbon (AC) is widely used as an adsorbent in the treatment of liquids and gases. Many industries such as pharmaceutical, mining, petroleum, nuclear, water treatment, food and beverages are using activated carbon in their processing units. The important parts of the production process of activated carbon are the carbonisation (production of charcoal) and activation … Read more
Fruits of the oil palm can vary considerably based on their external appearance, notably the exocarp colour. The most common type of fruit colour is nigrescens (Nig), which is deep violet to black at the apex and pale yellow at the base when unripe. The colour of the Nig fruit varies to some extent on … Read more
The palm Bactris gasipaes also known as pejibaye or peach palm, is native to the tropical forests of South and Central America (Graefe et al., 2013). Bactris produces high fruit yields up to 3.8 t ha-1 yr-1 (Bolanho et al., 2013). The fruits (Figure 1) are rich in starch and contain all essential and non-essential … Read more