Effect of Rice Husk Filler on the Structural and Dielectric Properties of Palm Oil as an Electrical Insulation Material

Abstract

This study uses natural fibre, which is moisture absorbent, as an innovative and economical filler for insulating oil. Rice husk (RH) is a natural fibre known to have water-absorbing properties and used as a supplementary cementitious material. This research utilises the water-absorbing properties of RH to improve the physicochemical and dielectric properties of insulating oil. RH was refined into a fine powder at a diameter of less than 63 µm. Palm oil (PO) was synthesised with RH at concentrations of 0 g/L, 0.01 g/L, and 0.1 g/L. The moisture-absorbent properties of RH were analysed by using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The particle size and distribution of RH in PO were also obtained using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a Zeta particle analyser. The breakdown voltage (BDV) strength of PO with RH was measured according to IEC 60156, and the dielectric frequency response was investigated in the range of 102–105 Hz. RH is proven to absorb moisture from PO, as the O–H band intensity at the 3350 cm−1 is increased from the experimental results. Therefore, the mean BDV and dielectric insulation properties of PO dispersed with RH also increased accordingly.

Discrimination and authentication of lard blending with palm oil in cosmetic soap formulations

“…Based on the FTIR analysis, the FFA extracted from lard was found to contain ester, carboxylic acid and alcohol functional groups. The absorption peaks observed were at 1740–1737 cm −1 and 1230–1200 cm −1 , indicating the presence of ester functional groups [31]. The peak at 1740–1737 cm −1 corresponds to the stretching vibration of the carbonyl group in the ester functional group, while the peak at 1230–1200 cm −1 corresponds to the C‐O stretching vibration in the ester group [33].…”

Experimental Study of the Electrical and Physiochemical Properties of Different Types of Crude Palm Oils as Dielectric Insulating Fluids in Transformers

“…The functional groups of C-H alkanes are seen between 2850 and 3000 cm −1 . Alkane C-H stretches (mid to strong bonds) and carboxylic acid O-H stretches (wide and variable bonds) are represented by the transmittance peaks, and the presence of alky moieties of palmitic saturated fatty acid is substantiated by the absorption bands at 2922-2921 cm −1 and 2853-2852 cm −1 [54,55] in six palm oil samples. The C-H bonds in alkanes are quite common, making them less informative about the composition's structure.…”