Optimization and empirical modelling of physical ‎properties of hydrothermally treated ‎oil ‎palm wood in ‎different ‎buffered media using ‎response ‎surface ‎methodology

Physical properties are one of the ‎drawbacks oil palm wood ‎‎(OPW) and they need to ‎be ‎improved via an appropriate method. The ‎response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite ‎design (CCD) was used evaluate optimize parameters a hydrothermal treatment ‎and create ‎empirical model mass loss (ML, %), equilibrium moisture ‎content ‎‎(EMC, anti-swelling efficiency (ASE24h, %)‎‏ ‏responses‎. This ‎study focused ‎effect ‎hydrothermal (HTT) ‎in ‎buffer solutions control ‎destructive effects ‎released ‎acids ‎caused by degradation ‎hemicellulose acetyl groups‏.‏‎ A CCD, as ‎the most common RSM design, applied with three factors including ‎‎(acidic, neutral, alkaline pH 5 8), temperature (80 140 ‎‎°С), ‎time (40 ‎‎‎120 ‎min), total 20 ‎experiments‎.‎‏ ‏‎The results ‎showed that ‎was more notable ‎than time. medium acidity (pH) variations in HTT can lead ‎to removal ‎extractives starch, hemicelluloses ‎hydrolysis‎, ‎destruction parenchymal cells wall, ‎weight loss. Based variance analysis, ‎quadratic linear models proved be highly significant ‎minimal probability values (< 0.0001). optimum conditions ‎predicted for were 7.3, ‎112.7 ‎°С, ‎a‏ ‏time ‎109.6 ‎min.