Morphological and chemical nature of fiber strands of oil palm empty-fruit-bunch (OPEFB)

Abstract

In this work we examined the morphological and chemical characteristics of the fibrous strands of oil palm empty-fruit-bunch which were left behind after being stripped of their fruits used for oil production. The empty-fruit-bunches were mechanically loosened to yield the fibrous strands, which can be used in paper and board making. We found that the fibrous strands had unique structure by having several large-diameter, long vessel elements in their core region, surrounded by vascular fibers. They had numerous silica-bodies attached to craters on their surfaces; the craters were perforated at the bottom. Many other minerals were also present in the strands. Our microscopic observations suggested that the silica-bodies are connected to a network of siliceous pathway within the fibrous matrix, and minerals tend to concentrate adjacent to the silica-bodies. Our findings could be useful in identifying suitable techniques for processing the oil palm fiber strands into value-added products.

Keywords

• Elaeis guineensis
• Oil palm empty-fruit-bunch
• Fiber morphology
• Chemical constituents
• Silica
• Minerals