Preparation And Optimization Of Liquefied Oil Palm Trunk Based Adhesive For Particleboard Application
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Date
2016-09
Authors
Awalludin, Mohd Fahmi
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Abstract
Utilization of waste oil palm trunk (OPT) through liquefaction is the subject
of interest. Liquefaction of OPT in ethylene glycol and glycerol, with H2SO4 as a
catalyst, at a temperature of 150 °C was carried out based on experimental design
(DoE) aided by software Stat-Ease Inc., Design-Expert® Version 7. A 24-1 fractional
factorial design used in screening phase showed that factors such as types of
solvents, percentage of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) catalyst and liquefaction time found
to be important. However, factor of OPT loading was found to be less important.
Those important factors and different solvent mixtures were studied further by
implementing combined D-optimal design. Liquefaction of OPT in glycerol found to
give more yield than in ethylene glycol. The selected empirical model was Linear (L)
for mixture, while 2–Factor Interactions (2FI) for process. For optimization and
model verification, the proposed solution for an optimal result was a mixture
between 34% ethylene glycol to 66% glycerol, 4% H2SO4, and 116 minutes
liquefaction time. Under this condition, a separated experiment was conducted for
verification purposes. The optimum result showed that the actual liquefaction yield
obtained was 81.53%, closed to the predicted value by the empirical model that was
79.92%. Thus, selected model L × 2FI was considered as valid and adequate. The
Fourier Transform-Infrared (FTIR) and Field Emission-Scanning Electron
Microscope (FESEM) analyses were conducted on the remaining liquefaction
residues. Results showed that OPT particles have suffered extreme degradation
process during liquefaction process. The optimal liquefied OPT was then applied in
the OPT particleboards. Mixtures of liquefied OPT/urea-formaldehyde (UF) were
used as binder. Formaldehyde release test conducted showed a reduction in
formaldehyde when liquefied OPT was added into the particleboard. Liquefied OPT
seems to behave like formaldehyde catcher. However, with the addition of liquefied
OPT, mechanical strength of OPT particleboards was reduced. The reason is because
liquefied OPT did not have comparable adhesive properties like UF. Even so, some
of the manufactured particleboards bonded with mixtures of liquid OPT/UF meet
Type 8 and Type 13 as referred to Japanese Standards, JIS A 3908: 2003. A
separated set for optimization and validation purposes was carried out in which the
goals set to meet the JIS A 3908: 2003 standards. The results for formaldehyde
release and mechanical strength obtained were within the range predicted by the
empirical model. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a minor increase in
thermal stability properties of the particleboards with the addition of liquefied OPT
Description
Keywords
Utilization of waste oil palm trunk , through liquefaction.