Investigation On Performance Of Oil Palm Trunk As A Laminated Veneer Lumber Using Various Thermoset Adhesives

Eksperimental bod terlaminasi atau “laminated veneer lumber” (LVL) dihasilkan menggunakan perekat urea formaldehid, fenol formaldehid, urea formaldehid dan fenol-resorcinal formaldehid. Ujian fizikal, kekuatan ricihan, sudut sentuhan, ujian ‘soil burial’, dan kelembapan relatif telah dijalankan. Berdasarkan keputusan ujian, didapati ketumpatan bod terlaminasi kelapa sawit lebih tinggi daripada ketumpatan batang kelapa sawit. Experimental laminated veneer lumber (LVL) was manufactured from oil palm veneer using urea formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, melamine-urea formaldehyde, and phenol-resorcinal formaldehyde adhesives. The laminated veneer was tested for physical properties, shear strength, contact angle, soil burial and relative humidity. Based on the findings, the density of the oil palm laminated veneer lumber was slightly higher than the solid oil palm trunk

Ethanolic mangifera indica leaves extract as green corrosion inhibitor

Mangifera indica (MI) or mango leaf as a green corrosion inhibitor for copper has been studied. The MI was extracted in ethanol solvent and prepared at different concentrations of 0, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mg/ml in 1 M HCl solutions to imitate the corrosive environment. The as-prepared MI extract analyzed by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer shows a shoulder peak at about 370 nm, resulting from the π → π* and n → π* electronic transition of aromatic C=C and carbonyl (C=O) functional groups. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) found that the MI extract exhibits aromatic C=C, C=O groups of phenolic compounds, C-OH, and C-O stretching vibrations. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel plot analysis evaluate that the optimum corrosion inhibition of copper was achieved at 0.6 mg/ml concentration. The result is supported by a positive shift in the corrosion potential, Ecorr, lower corrosion current, Icorr and corrosion rate (CR) at-0.233 V, 4.39 µA/cm2 and 0.05 mm/yr, respectively. The surface morphology of the copper substrate after the corrosion test evaluated using metallurgical microscopy shows tremendous corrosion inhibition due to the adsorption of the molecules from the MI extracts

Ethanolic Mangifera Indica Leaves Extract as Green Corrosion Inhibitor

Mangifera indica (MI) or mango leaf as a green corrosion inhibitor for copper has been studied. The MI was extracted in ethanol solvent and prepared at different concentrations of 0, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mg/ml in 1 M HCl solutions to imitate the corrosive environment. The as-prepared MI extract analyzed by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer shows a shoulder peak at about 370 nm, resulting from the π → π* and n → π* electronic transition of aromatic C=C and carbonyl (C=O) functional groups. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) found that the MI extract exhibits aromatic C=C, C=O groups of phenolic compounds, C-OH, and C-O stretching vibrations. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel plot analysis evaluate that the optimum corrosion inhibition of copper was achieved at 0.6 mg/ml concentration. The result is supported by a positive shift in the corrosion potential, Ecorr, lower corrosion current, Icorr and corrosion rate (CR) at -0.233 V, 4.39 µA/cm2 and 0.05 mm/yr, respectively. The surface morphology of the copper substrate after the corrosion test evaluated using metallurgical microscopy shows tremendous corrosion inhibition due to the adsorption of the molecules from the MI extracts

Physical and mechanical properties of kenaf/seaweed reinforced polypropylene composite

Wood plastics composites (WPCs) refer to any composites that consist of natural fibers combined with thermosets or thermoplastics polymers. Natural fibers are preferably used as reinforcement in WPCs due to their availability, low cost, and low density. Currently, kenaf fiber has been used widely in making composite while seaweed is more used in cosmetics and food. In this study, kenaf fiber and seaweed fiber is mixed with different ratio. This study aims to investigate the potential of kenaf/seaweed to be converted into WPCs and the physical and mechanical properties of kenaf/seaweed reinforced polypropylene composite were figured out. The techniques used for making this composite are using extrusion and hot-pressing techniques. Kenaf reinforced composite and seaweed reinforced composite are prepared as a control sample in the research. The result shows that the tensile and impact strength of kenaf/seaweed reinforced composite is low compared to kenaf reinforced composite but higher than seaweed reinforced composite with a value of 0.1098 MPa and 49.53 J/m respectively. Melt flow index (MFI) result was displayed through the rate of flow of composite under two different loads at 120 kg and 216 kg at temperature 1900C. The rate of flow was affected by the increment of viscosity. It is shown that adding fiber into composite results in an increase in MFI index. The amount of water absorption of kenaf/seaweed reinforced polypropylene composite was lower than kenaf composite but higher than seaweed composite. It is shown that seaweed improved the properties of kenaf/polypropylene reinforced composite in terms of water absorption properties but lower in mechanical properties

Investigation of hydrophobic properties and mechanical stability of hydrophobic compressed oil palm trunk (OPT) panel

Oil palm trunk (OPT) panel has high potential of being the substitution of wood due to the abundant of its availability in Malaysia and correspondingly resulted an increase in the export of palm oil in recent years. The properties of OPT has widely been studied including improvement on their strength and stability properties. In the present work, a hydrophobic coating was applied on compressed OPT panel prior to improve its surface quality. The hydrophobic properties were determined by water contact angle (WCA) and water sliding angle (WSA). The addition of SiO2 and chlorotrymethylsilane (CTMS) as a hydrophobic agent plays a critical role in enhancing the panel surface by generate roughness at nanoscales and lower its surface free energy which turn to higher WCA and smaller WSA values. Based on mechanical stability of hydrophobic compressed OPT, it shows that the WCAs of the surface panel remained almost constant and the coated surface remain non-wettable with the nanoscales features remain intact after performing scratch test

Structural and thermal behavior of lignin-based formaldehyde-free phenolic resin

Phenolic resin has been widely used in various field applications and is a crucial resin in daily life. However, the raw materials used for producing phenolic resin are quite costly and harmful to the consumer. Therefore, the production of bio-based phenolic resins has attracted considerable scientific and industrial interest. The utilization of bio-based substituents for phenol and formaldehyde as phenolic resin raw materials is described in this paper. The structural properties of the prepared bio-based phenolic resin are established by FTIR and NMR, and the thermal stability is determined by DSC and TGA. The presence of the methylene bridge functional group at around 1460 cm1 confirms the formation of phenolic resins. The resins have a decomposition temperature of about 300 °C and exhibit good thermal stability. This confirmed structure and thermally stable resins could be used to substitute the current commercialized phenolic resins

Structural evaluation of graphene oxide/Zinc oxide nanocomposite for corrosion mitigation

Owing to the impermeability, high hardness, and hydrophobicity of graphene oxide, there is a growing demand for the development of graphene oxide-based nanocomposite. In this research, GO/ZnO nanocomposite is prepared through a sol–gel route and further spin-coated onto copper to study its potential in corrosion mitigation. This research aims to investigate the structural properties of the nanocomposite formed by various GO sheet sizes and correlate them to the corrosion mitigation mechanism. The different GO sheet sizes were obtained by ultrasonication at 1 h, 3 h and 5 h and the samples were termed as 1 h-GO/ZnO, 3 h-GO/ZnO and 5 h-GO/ZnO, respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of all samples showed the diffraction peaks at 31.8°, 34.5°, and 36.3° due to the nucleation of ZnO into the graphene structure. The crystallite size of the nanocomposite has decreased with decreasing GO sheet sizes. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer revealed a strong new peak at 443 cm−1 due to Zn-O characteristic vibrations as compared to as-synthesized GO. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed that the GO/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited a larger surface area when the GO sheet sizes decreased. The spin-coated sample of 5 h-GO/ZnO showed a higher potential for corrosion protection at 0.017 mm/yr corrosion rate

The effect of power intensity properties of microwave modified oil palm trunk lumber

In the decade, oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) in Malaysia is one of the conventional sources that will be rising, and the rate of biomass will considerably increase in yet to come. Presently, oil palm biomass is going through research and development and appears to be the most sustainable alternative. Investigations on oil palm biomass have been conducted to support in draw out waste of oil palm and in the meantime can help economic yield to the country. This study was expected to estimate the effect of power intensity properties of microwave modified oil palm trunk lumber. Microwave treatment of oil palm trunk samples was set of connections by using a microwave operating at 2.45 GHz with the liberated process input power intensity (600-1000W) were studied under the given condition. Impact and compression of the samples were tested. The analysis of properties of the fresh material and dry samples was employed by scanning electron microscopy. Oven drying technique also was involved as a comparison of the conventional drying process in this research. Based on the outcomes of this study, both drying methods improved the characteristics of the specimens

Improving the properties of kenaf reinforced polypropylene composite by alkaline treatment

Natural fibre composites are widely utilized to make composite materials like textiles, furniture, cars, and buildings. This is due to the material's qualities, which include lightweight, high strength, and low density. Considering that it can grow in a variety of climates, kenaf fibre is one of the natural fibres that can be used in composite materials. However, the high hydrophilic behavior of kenaf fibre presents a challenge. Consequently, alkaline treatment was used to enhance the kenaf-reinforced polypropylene composite's characteristics. Both extrusion and injection molding were used to produce the composite. A composite without the alkaline treatment was also produced so that the outcomes could be compared. The proportion of used kenaf fibres to polypropylene was 170:30. (g). Thermal analysis, melt flow index (MFI), and water absorption testing was conducted on the composite material. Tensile, flexural, and impact testing were then used to determine the mechanical characteristics of the composite. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to evaluate the composite. The treated sample's tensile strength was determined to be 0.003 MPa, while the untreated sample's value was 0.002 MPa. Flexural strength increased between the treated sample (6545.49 MPa) and the untreated sample (6405.56 MPa). The treated sample's impact strength was 59.26 J/m as compared to 48.97 J/m for the untreated sample. The results of every test conducted so far have demonstrated that the alkaline-treated composite has better physical and mechanical properties than the untreated

Investigation of the Effect of Coupling Agent on the Properties of Kenaf Fiber/Polypropylene Composites

In a competitive product market, manufacturers ought to utilize eco-friendly materials to reduce the environmental impact of their products. Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is an annual plant that produces bast fiber and develops rapidly. These fibers have excellent properties and could serve as ideal reinforcing fillers for wood-based products. This study aims to investigate Maleated Polypropylene (MAPP) as a coupling agent for Kenaf fiber (KF)/Polypropylene(PP) composite. Three distinct composites were created using the following ratios: Sample 1 (Kenaf 20g: PP 180g), Sample 2 (Kenaf 10g: PP 180g: MAPP 10g), and Sample 3 (Kenaf 15g: PP 180g: MAPP 5g). All materials are mixed and extruded in a single-screw extruder at 185 to 200 °C at 50 rpm. A granulator is then utilized to palletize the samples. For testing, tensile and impact testing is conducted for mechanical properties, water absorption for physical properties, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for morphological characterization. The thermal characteristics of the composites are analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicate that the KF/PP composite with a coupling agent has a higher tensile strength with a value of 29.3 MPa compared to the KF/PP composite without a coupling agent with a value of 22.4 MPa. Water absorption of composite with coupling agent was also less than without coupling agent with a value of 1.05% and 1.31% respectively