In this paper, superheated steam (SHS) was used as cost effective and green processing technique to modify oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) for biocomposite applications. The purpose of this modification was to promote the adhesion between fiber and thermoplastic. The modification was carried out in a SHS oven at various temperature (200-230 °C) and time (30-120 min) under normal atmospheric pres...

Biodegradable and environmentally friendly biocomposites produced by a combination of biodegradable thermoplastics and natural fiber have gained increasing interest in recent years. In this work, eco-friendly biocomposites made from poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and different weight percentages (10, 30, 50, and 70 wt%) of oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) were fabricated via a melt blending proce...

Investigation into the initial developmental stages of a given structure is fundamental for precise characterization as well as for comparative analysis in relation to other taxa when homologies are established. For the Anacardiaceae family, investigations of the initial development of the pericarp or its basic histological sites, the epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp, are relevant since these reg...

The objective of this work was to evaluate the carbonization yield of babassu nutshell as affected by final temperature, as well as the energy losses involved in the process. Three layers constituting the babassu nut, that is, the epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp, were used together. The material was carbonized, considering the following final temperatures: 450, 550, 650, 750, and 850°C. Th...

0308-8146/$ see front matter 2010 Elsevier Ltd. A doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.08.042 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +60 7 5535609; fax: + E-mail address: [email protected] (Z.A. Manan) Sub-critical extraction of palm oil from palm mesocarp using R134a solvent was conducted via the dynamic mode to investigate the ability of R134a to extract b-carotene. The yield of palm oil and the solubility of...