POTENTIAL OF FINES AS REINFORCING FIBRES IN ALKALINE PEROXIDE PULP OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH

• Main Authors: Nurul H. Kamaludin, Arniza Ghazali, Wan Daud Wanrosli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: North Carolina State University 2012-06-01
• Series: BioResources
• Subjects: APMP; EFB; Fines; Filler; Reinforcing; Vessel elements; Fibrillar
• Online Access: http://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/view/BioRes_07_3_3425_Kamaludin_GW_Fines_Reinforce_Alkaline_Fruit_Bunch/1607

Pulp from the alkaline peroxide mechanical pulping (APMP) of oil palm empty fruit bunch, EFB, was fractionated with varying mesh-size screens to examine the effects imposed by size-specific fines on the produced pulp network. Occurring mainly as a result of refining, fines elements with dimensions almost resembling EFB fibres were the long tube-like tapered vessels from the arrays of adjoined cell walls detached along the perforation lines. These fibrillated vessel elements constituting the P250/R300 fines fraction improved pulp network strength by gluing onto multiple fibres. More profound strength enhancement was promoted by the segments of the fibrillated vessel elements constituted in the P300/R400 fines fraction. With reduced dimensions, these elements enhanced pulp network strength by filling the micro-voids in the pulp network. By eliminating gaps that would otherwise interrupt inter-fiber bonding, 12% P300/R400 fines fraction enhanced the EFB APMP pulp network tensile strength by 100%.