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Natural rubber blended with biomass fibers as a filler is one of promising methods to produce high‐quality car tire that require good thermal resistance and low noise level caused by the frictional forces between the tire and road. Biomass fibers have suitable acoustic properties, good tensile strength, and also density regarding its chain molecule structure and porous structure. The major biomass byproduct from the palm oil industry in Indonesia is empty fruit bunches (EFBs). Because of the different polarity of natural rubber and EFBs, coupling agent has to be added for producing composite with good miscibility and desired mechanical properties. In this study the hybrid coupling agent based natural rubber‐starch prepared with glow discharge electrolysis plasma method is added to the natural rubber/EFBs fibers composite. The ratio of EFBs fibers to the composite is varied to 5, 10, and 15 phr, while the coupling agent is added at fixed 1 phr. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mechanical testing are used for the composite characterization. The mechanical tests showed that the addition of coupling agents provides greater tensile strength compared to composites without the addition of coupling agent. These results are supported by morphology analyses using SEM, showing the good interaction on the surface between the EFBs fibers and the natural rubber matrix with addition of the coupling agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibilities of utilizing an abundantly available agricultural waste, oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibers, for the development of nano-filler was investigated. The aim was to develop fire retardant nano-fillers from OPEFB fiber through grinding, chemical treatment (bromine water and SnCl2), and cryogenic crushing, followed by a high energy ball milling process. The structural, morphological, and thermal properties of nano-fillers were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The analysis revealed that the particle size distribution was reduced from micro to nano size in the range of around 14 to 100 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations revealed that the nanoparticles of OPEFB had irregular shapes. The elemental composition of the OPEFB were investigated by elemental dispersive X- ray analysis (EDX), showing the presence of tin, carbon, oxygen, chlorine, and bromine elements both before and after ball milling. Further, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that the developed nanofillers exhibited enhanced thermal properties compared to the untreated fibers. Such results suggest that the developed nano-filler can be used for the fabrication of nanocomposites with improved fire retardancy.

Lignin graft copolymer (LGC) was prepared using an addition polymerization technique that involved grafting a 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomer onto soda lignin (SL). The optimal polymerization conditions were found to be as follows: soda lignin, 2.0 g; initiator, 3% (w/w) potassium persulphate of SL; mass ratio of AMPS to SL, 1:2; reaction time, 7 h; and reaction temperature, 60 °C. The LGC was characterized using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The filtrate loss controlling ability of the LGC was evaluated using the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 13-B 1 standard procedures. The results showed that the LGC has remarkable rheological and filtration controlling properties at both room temperature and high aging temperatures (190 °C).

This study was conducted to investigate the potential application of oil palm empty fruit branches (OPEFB) as adsorbents to remove organic methylmercurry, MeHg(II), and inorganic Hg(II) from aqueous solution. The OPEFB was functionalized with amine containing ligand namely 3-ureidopropyltriethoxysilane (UPTES) aiming for better adsorption performance towards both mercury ions. The adsorption was found to be dependent on initial pH, initial concentraton, temperatures, and contact time. The maximum adsorption capacities (Q) of Hg(II) adsorption onto OPEFB and UPTES-OPEFB were 0.226 and 0.773 mmol/g, respectively. The Q of MeHg(II) onto OPEFB, however, was higher than UPTES-OPEFB. The adsorption kinetic data obeyed the Elovich model and the adsorption was controlled by the film-diffusion step. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicate an endothermic adsorption process. Adsorption data analysis indicates that the adsorption mechanism may include ion-exchange, complexation, and physisorption interactions. The potential applications of adsorbents were demonstrated using oilfield produced water and natural gas condensate. The UPTES-OPEFB offered higher selectivity towards both mercury ions than OPEFB. The regenerability studies indicated that the adsorbent could be reused for multiple cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibilities of utilizing an abundantly available agricultural waste, oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibers, for the development of nano-filler was investigated. The aim was to develop fire retardant nano-fillers from OPEFB fiber through grinding, chemical treatment (bromine water and SnCl2), and cryogenic crushing, followed by a high energy ball milling process. The structural, morphological, and thermal properties of nanofillers were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The analysis revealed that the particle size distribution was reduced from micro to nano size in the range of around 14 to 100 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations revealed that the nanoparticles of OPEFB had irregular shapes. The elemental composition of the OPEFB were investigated by elemental dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), showing the presence of tin, carbon, oxygen, chlorine, and bromine elements both before and after ball milling. Further, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that the developed nanofillers exhibited enhanced thermal properties compared to the untreated fibers. Such results suggest that the developed nano-filler can be used for the fabrication of nanocomposites with improved fire retardancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the flexural properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber. Materials and Methods The flexural strength and flexural modulus of three OPEFB fiber-reinforced PMMA were compared with a conventional and a commercially available reinforced PMMA. The three test groups included OPEFB fibers of 0.5 mm thickness, 2.0 mm thickness, and OPEFB cellulose. Results All test group specimens demonstrated improved flexural strength and flexural modulus over conventional PMMA. Reinforcement with OPEFB cellulose showed the highest mean flexural strength and flexural modulus, which were statistically significant when compared to the conventional and commercially reinforced PMMA used in this study. OPEFB fiber in the form of cellulose and 0.5 mm thickness fiber significantly improved flexural strength and flexural modulus of conventional PMMA resin. Further investigation on the properties of PMMA reinforced with OPEFB cellulose is warranted. Conclusions Natural OPEFB fibers, especially OPEFB in cellulose form, can be considered a viable alternative to existing commercially available synthetic fiber reinforced PMMA resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin graft copolymer (LGC) was prepared using an addition polymerization technique that involved grafting a 2-acrylamido-2- methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomer onto soda lignin (SL). The optimal polymerization conditions were found to be as follows: soda lignin, 2.0 g; initiator, 3% (w/w) potassium persulphate of SL; mass ratio of AMPS to SL, 1:2; reaction time, 7 h; and reaction temperature, 60 °C. The LGC was characterized using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The filtrate loss controlling ability of the LGC was evaluated using the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 13-B 1 standard procedures. The results showed that the LGC has remarkable rheological and filtration controlling properties at both room temperature and high aging temperatures (190 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of triacetin as a plasticizer on the tensile properties and morphology of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites were studied. In this research, pulverized oil palm EFB fiber size from 0.25–0.50 mm were weighted with different fiber loadings and mixed with 5% triacetin. The obtained results indicated that the tensile strength and the Young's modulus of PLA/EFB composites with the addition of triacetin were enhanced at an 80% PLA and 20% EFB fiber loading. The interfacial properties between PLA and the EFB fiber were improved after the addition of triacetin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]