Oil Palm Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites: A Review

Abstract

In recent years there has been growing interest in utilising natural fi bres as reinforcement in polymer composites for making low-cost construction materials. Hitherto, the use of natural fi bres has been more traditional than technical. These fi bres have long served many useful purposes, but the application of material technology for the utilisation of natural fi bres as reinforcement in polymer matrices is comparatively recent. The attractive features of natural fi bres include their low cost, low weight, high specifi c modulus, renewability, and biodegradability. Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs) are readily available in large quantities in palm-oil mills. It has been estimated that the amount of empty fruit bunches (EFBs) available in Malaysia per year is about 4.43 million t. Oil palm fi bre (OPF) can be obtained directly from the natural resource, is cheap, and also has the advantages of renewability, low cost, and easy availability. EFB fi bre can be used for wood plastic, medium-density fi breboard (MDF), erosion control, and landscaping. This paper presents a literature review of the development and mechanical properties of oil palm fi bre reinforced polymer composites. The mechanical properties of OPF composites are also discussed, together with their chemical, thermal, and physical properties as determined by several researchers. Both thermosetting and thermoplastic resins are used as matrices in OPF composites.

Hydrophobic Polymers from Food Waste: Resources and Synthesis

“…19 In the last decade there has been renewed and growing interest in biomass-sourced hydrophilic polymers, particularly as reinforcing fibers in polymer composites where they can deliver a 2:1 modulus mismatch, [20][21][22][23] but also as bulk polymers in their own right. Moreover, the various routes to the synthesis of hydrophobic polymers are being explored and extended and several reviews have appeared that address both classes of polymer.…”

Biocomposite Innovation: Assessing Tensile and Flexural Performance with Maleated Natural Rubber Additives

“…For every ton of CPO (Crude Palm Oil) produced by the palm oil industry, empty fruit bunches are obtained. In addition, palm fiber is obtained directly from natural resources that are cheap and also renewable, low in cost and easily available [12]. However, OPEFB are hard and tough [13].…”

Contribution to a Circular Economy Model: From Lignocellulosic Wastes from the Extraction of Vegetable Oils to the Development of a New Composite

“…Wood plastic composites (WPCs), which consist of the addition of natural fillers in a polymeric matrix, are gaining more importance in order to reuse wastes from different industries. Some compounds from vegetable oil industry wastes such as linseed [ 20 ], palm [ 21 ], sunflower [ 22 ] or rapeseed [ 23 ] have been reported as lignocellulosic fillers in WPCs. This movement contributes to the circular economy, where residual cake rises in value as a filler to manufacture a sustainable composite.…”