Oil palm mesocarp fiber was subjected to hydrothermal pretreatment under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. The pretreated slurries were separated by filtration, pretreated liquids and solids were characterized. An enzymatic digestibility study was performed for both pretreated slurries and solids to understand the effect of soluble inhibitors generated during the pretreatment process. The highest glucose yield obtained from pretreated slurries was 70.1%, and gradually decreased with higher pretreatment severities. The highest glucose yield obtained in pretreated solids was 100%, after pretreatment at 210°C for 20min. In order to study the inhibitory effects of compounds generated during pretreatment with cellulase, technical grade solutions that mimic the pretreated liquid were prepared and their effect on Acremonium cellulase activity was monitored using Avicel. Xylo-oligomers and tannic acid were identified as powerful inhibitors of Acremonium cellulase, and the lowest hydrolysis rate of Avicel of 0.18g/g-glucose released/L/h was obtained from tannic acid.
In this paper, sugar palm nanocellulose fibre-reinforced thermoplastic starch (TPS)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) blend bionanocomposites were prepared using melt blending and compression moulding with different TPS concentrations (20%, 30%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) and constant sugar palm nanocellulose fibres (0.5%). The physical, mechanical, thermal, and water barrier properties were investigated. The SEM images indicated different TPS loading effects with the morphology of the blend bionanocomposites due to their immiscibility. A high content of TPS led to agglomeration, while a lower content resulted in the presence of cracks and voids. The 20% TPS loading reduced the tensile strength from 49.08 to 19.45 MPa and flexural strength from 79.60 to 35.38 MPa. The thermal stability of the blend bionanocomposites was reduced as the TPS loading increased. The thickness swelling, which corresponded to the water absorption, demonstrated an increasing trend with the increased addition of TPS loading.
The present work deals with the production of paper materials from onion peels (Allium Cepa) fibers
as an alternative potential non-wood fiber. The onion peels were obtained from a local small and
medium food industry. The onion peels were cooked at 120, 150 and 180 minutes. The peels were
grinded and poured in a set of mould and deckle for the formation of a thin sheet of paper. The
physical, mechanical, morphological characteristics and water rise capillary values (KLEMM
Method) were evaluated to determine its suitability for a paper material. The results show that the
increase in cooking time from 120 to 180 minutes resulted in an increase in the tensile index from
32.28N*m/g to 42.13N*m/g and tear index from 9.80mN*m2
/g to 15.62mN*m2
/g. The bonding
strength increased due to higher number of fibers, finer fiber size, and increase in the fiber contact
area and fiber distribution. The high porosity area affects the performance of water rise capillary
values of the paper sheets. The onion peels fiber gave impressive handsheets characteristics when
compared with other sources of non-wood fibers.
Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite materials play an increasingly important role in modern manufacturing, and they are among the more prominent materials used in aircraft manufacturing today. However, CFRP is highly prone to delamination and other damage when drilled due to it being extremely strong with a good strength-to-weight ratio and high thermal conductivity. Because of this problem and CFRP's growing importance in aircraft manufacture, research has focused on the entry and exit holes as indicators of damage occurrence during drilling of screws, rivets, and other types of holes. The inside of the hole was neglected in past research and a proper way to quantify the internal side of a hole by combining the entry and exit hole should be included. To fill this gap and improve the use of CFRP, this paper reports a novel technique to measure the holes by using the extension of the adjusted delamination factor (SFDSR) for drilling thick CFRP composites in order to establish the influence of machining input variables on key output measures, i.e., delamination and other damages. The experimental results showed a significant difference in interpretation of the damage during the analysis. Improvement was made by providing better perspectives of identifying hole defects.
Variations in the definition of poultry meat quality exist because the quality traits are not solely based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors but also consumers' preference. Appearance quality traits (AQT), eating quality traits (EQT), and reliance quality traits (RQT) are the major factors focused by the consumer before buying good quality of poultry meat. AQT and EQT of poultry meat are controlled by physical and biochemical characteristics of muscle fibers which can be categorized into a total number of fibers (TNF), cross-sectional area of fibers (CSAF), and fiber type composition (FTC). In poultry meat, it has been shown that muscle fiber properties play a key role in meat quality because numerous studies have reported the relationships between quality traits and fiber characteristics. Despite intensive research has been carried out to manipulate the muscle fiber to improve poultry meat quality, demand in a rapid growth of poultry muscle has correlated to the deterioration in the meat quality. The present paper reviews the definition of poultry meat quality, meat quality traits, and variations of meat quality. Also, this review presents recent knowledge underlying the relationship between poultry meat quality traits and muscle fiber characteristics.
This study has been undertaken to investigate the evaluation of Fiber-reinforced Foamed Concrete (FRFC) performance by the use of toughness and non-destructive tests. These tests cover the workability, density, static modulus of elasticity, toughness, ultrasonic pulse velocity and absorption tests. Different FRFC mixes using carbon fibers in the order of 0.5, 1 and 1.5% carbon fibers were used. Also, the combinations of carbon fibers (C) and polypropylene fibers (PP) as 1% C+ 0.5% PP, and 0.5% C+1% PP were prepared. Lastly, the inclusion of polypropylene fibers with the order of 1.5% PP was used to strengthen the foamed concrete mix. The results showed that the use of 1.5% of C has affected the modulus of elasticity and flexural toughness of foamed concrete. On the other hand, a strong relationship is found between compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity for FRFC.
The main purpose of this research is to design a high-fatigue performance hoop wrapped compressed natural gas (CNG) composite cylinder. To this end, an optimization algorithm was presented as a combination of finite element simulation (FES) and response surface analysis (RSA). The geometrical model was prepared as a variable wall-thickness following the experimental measurements. Next, transient dynamic analysis was performed subjected to the refueling process, including the minimum and maximum internal pressures of 20 and 200 bar, respectively. The time histories of stress tensor components were extracted in the critical region. Furthermore, RSA was utilized to investigate the interaction effects of various polymer composite shell manufacturing process parameters (thickness and fiber angle) on the fatigue life of polymer composite CNG pressure tank (type-4). In the optimization procedure, four parameters including wall-thickness of the composite shell in three different sections of the CNG tank and fiber angle were considered as input variables. In addition, the maximum principal stress of the component was considered as the objective function. Eventually, the fatigue life of the polymer composite tank was calculated using stress-based failure criterion. The results indicated that the proposed new design (applying optimal parameters) leads to improve the fatigue life of the polymer composite tank with polyethylene liner about 2.4 times in comparison with the initial design.
The aim of the present work was to produce low sugar cookies by partial substitution with a
sugar replacer (i.e. maltitol, sorbitol, and isomalt) for sucrose. Four different types of cookies
were prepared. Sucrose was replaced by maltitol, sorbitol, and isomalt at 50% level (based on
relative degree of sweetness of sucrose) to produce CMAL50, CSOR50, and CISO50, respectively. Cookies that contained sucrose represented the control. All the cookies produced were
analysed for chemical properties, physical properties, and sensorial acceptance. The chemical
analysis results indicated that CMAL50, CSOR50, and CISO50 had higher moisture, crude
fibre, and the total carbohydrate content, but with lower ash, crude protein, crude fat, calories,
and total sugar content than the control. CSOR50 showed the lowest total sugar content; thus,
could be denoted as ‘low sugar’ cookies. Cookies containing maltitol and isomalt presented
good physical quality. The hardness value of cookies decreased with 50% substitution of
sorbitol and isomalt for sucrose. CISO50 showed the lowest lightness and yellowness values
than other cookie samples. The sensory evaluation results showed that the cookies incorporated with maltitol and isomalt did not influence the overall acceptability of cookies. In conclusion, the replacement of sucrose with maltitol, sorbitol, and isomalt could reduce sugar and
daily calorie intake. However, sorbitol substitution at 50% level is feasible to produce ‘low
sugar’ cookies, and this cookie could provide benefits to weight and health-conscious
consumers.
In this review, the potential of natural fiber and kenaf fiber (KF) reinforced PLA composite filament for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printing technology is highlighted. Additive manufacturing is a material-processing method in which the addition of materials layer by layer creates a three-dimensional object. Unfortunately, it still cannot compete with conventional manufacturing processes, and instead serves as an economically effective tool for small-batch or high-variety product production. Being preformed of composite filaments makes it easiest to print using an FDM 3D printer without or with minimum alteration to the hardware parts. On the other hand, natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite filaments have gained great attention in the market. However, uneven printing, clogging, and the inhomogeneous distribution of the fiber-matrix remain the main challenges. At the same time, kenaf fibers are one of the most popular reinforcements in polymer composites. Although they have a good record on strength reinforcement, with low cost and light weight, kenaf fiber reinforcement PLA filament is still seldom seen in previous studies. Therefore, this review serves to promote kenaf fiber in PLA composite filaments for FDM 3D printing. To promote the use of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite in AM, eight challenges must be solved and carried out. Moreover, some concerns arise to achieve long-term sustainability and market acceptability of KF/PLA composite filaments.
Introduction: The aims of this study were to determine the proximate composition, functional properties and antioxidant activity of pumpkin seeds and rind. Besides, the effects of dietary fibre in pumpkin seeds and rinds on bread qualities and properties were evaluated. Methods: Formulations for bread substituted with 0%, 5% and 10% pumpkin seed and rind, respectively were produced. Sensory evaluation of the prepared bread samples for such attributes as appearance, aroma, flavour, texture and overall acceptability was undertaken. The physical properties of the bread samples, including dough expansion, loaf volume, crumb colour and bread texture, were determined. Proximate analysis and determination of antioxidant activity of the bread samples were also conducted. Results: Crude fibre of the pumpkin seeds and pumpkin rinds was high at 31.48% and 14.83%, respectively. The total phenolic compound (TPC) and DPPH radical scavenging activity for the pumpkin rinds were 38.60 mg GAE/ 100 g dry weight and 69.38%, respectively, which were higher than those of pumpkin seeds. A 5% level of pumpkin rind bread gave the best overall acceptability and sensory attributes, followed by 5% pumpkin seed bread. Total dietary fibre, total phenolic compound and DPPH radical scavenging activity in breads substituted with 5% pumpkin seed and 5% pumpkin rind flour were higher than the values in control bread. Conclusion: Pumpkin seeds and rinds can be used as dietary fibre sources in bakery.
Banana peel flour (BPF) prepared from green or ripe Cavendish and Dream banana fruits were assessed for their total starch (TS), digestible starch (DS), resistant starch (RS), total dietary fibre (TDF), soluble dietary fibre (SDF) and insoluble dietary fibre (IDF). Principal component analysis (PCA) identified that only 1 component was responsible for 93.74% of the total variance in the starch and dietary fibre components that differentiated ripe and green banana flours. Cluster analysis (CA) applied to similar data obtained two statistically significant clusters (green and ripe bananas) to indicate difference in behaviours according to the stages of ripeness based on starch and dietary fibre components. We concluded that the starch and dietary fibre components could be used to discriminate between flours prepared from peels obtained from fruits of different ripeness. The results were also suggestive of the potential of green and ripe BPF as functional ingredients in food.
Fibre reinforced composites have gained use in a variety of applications. The performances of these composites may suffer when the material is exposed to adverse environments for a long period of time. Kenaf fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites were subjected to water immersion tests in order to study the effects of water absorption on the mechanical properties. Composites specimens containing (10%, 20%, and 30%) weight percentages of fibre were prepared. Water absorption tests were conducted by immersing these specimens in a distilled water bath at 25oC for four months. The tensile properties of the specimens immersed in water were evaluated and compared with the dry composite specimens. A decrease in the tensile properties of the composites was demonstrated, indicating a great loss in the mechanical properties of the water-saturated samples compared to the dry samples. The percentage of moisture uptake was also increased as the percentage of the fibre weight increased due to the high cellulose content. The water absorption pattern of these composites was found to follow the Fickian behaviour.
This study is carried out to determine the physical properties of green pepper berries and to
improve the existing retting technique in white pepper production using the Viscozyme and
Celluclast as the enzymes. Effects of blanched and non-blanched pepper berries, acidic solution
and non-acidic solution, and different temperature of 28, 35, 42, and 49°C are determined to
obtain the optimum conditions for enzymatic retting. The physical properties of green pepper
berries such as dimension (5.21 mm), weight (0.11 g per berry), true density (1319.33 kg/m3),
bulk density (596.9 kg/m3), sphericity (0.976), angle of repose (6.87°) and flow ability with
funnel flow time of 5.27 seconds were determined. The enzymatic retting in 42oC can fully
soften the pericarp of pepper berries from 15 days to 7 days. The enzymatic decortication has
the efficiency in acidic solution (pH 4) and temperature of 42°C with non-blanched pepper
berries. The enzymatic retting reached constant fracture force (20.98N) at the ninth soaking
days while the non-enzymatic retting reached constant fracture force (21.89N) at the fifteenth
soaking days.
In the present study, six different rice varieties marketed in Penang, Malaysia (locally grown and imported) were evaluated for proximate composition, physiochemical properties and cooking qualities. Overall, 'Black rice' variety had the highest protein content (8.16%) with lowest fat content (0.07%). Between the various rice varieties investigated, thousand kernel weight varied between 16.97-19.43 g, length/breadth (l/b) ratio was between 2.09-3.75, while bulk density varied between 0.81-0.86 g/ml. Amylose content was highest (27.71%) in white rice (local, medium grain type) with lowest recorded for brown rice variety (3.36%). Results on minimum cooking time showed it to range between 10 to 31.67 minutes with the brown rice cooking the slowest. The water uptake ratio ranged between 2.33 to 3.95 and was low in glutinous rice (2.33), while gruel solid loss (range from 3.17 to 6.43) was lowest in Basmati rice variety (3.17%). The minimum cooking time was found to be negatively correlated with amylose content (r = -0.97). A positive correlation was recorded for both amylose content and l/b ratio in relation to elongation of cooked rice. These results highlight cooking and physiochemical properties of rice to be strongly dependent on their amylose content. Results generated in this study might be able to provide vital information's on identifying 'superior quality of rice' marketed in Penang, based on their proximate composition as well as on their physiochemical and cooking properties.
An efficient erbium/ytterbium co-doped fibre amplifier was demonstrated by using a dual-stage partial doublepass structure with a band-pass filter (BPF). The amplifier achieved the maximum small signal gain of 56 dB and the corresponding noise figure of 4.66 dB at 1536 nm with an input signal power and total pump power of –50 dBm and 140 mW, respectively. Compared with a conventional single-stage amplifier, the maximum gain enhancement of 16.99 dB was obtained at 1544 nm with the corresponding noise figure was improved by 2 dB. The proposed amplifier structure only used a single pump source with a partial double pass scheme to provide a high gain and dual-stage structure to provide the low noise figure.
Red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peel is a rich source of fibre, antioxidant and betacyanin; however, it is discarded during processing, so it is able to cause environmental problems. In order to convert the fruit waste to potential by-product ingredients, drum drying is used as pre-treatment to create an ingredient which is shelf-stable. In this study, the effects of rotation speed and steam pressure of drums on the physico-chemical properties of pitaya peel that had undergone drum drying are investigated. Pitaya peel was dried in a laboratory scale double drum dryer at rotation speed of 1, 2, and 3 rpm at steam pressure of 1, 2, and 3 bar. The drum dried pitaya peel was then further analyzed based on percentage yield, moisture content, water activity, betacyanin retention and color change. Interaction of steam pressure and rotation speed gives significant effect (p < 0.05) on percentage yield, moisture content, water activity, betacyanin retention and Hunter L value, whereas it has no significant on Hunter a and b values. The best combination parameters (1 rpm and 2 bar) yield the highest betacyanin retention (80.21 mg/g of dry solid), acceptable moisture content (10.66% wet basis), water activity (aw = 0.42) and with 7.61% of yield.
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) seeds have always being wasted as agricultural waste. Recent studies revealed that the seeds contain high fiber. The purpose of this study is to develop defatted kenaf seeds yellow noodles (DKSY) and assess the nutritional and physicohemical properties of the noodles. Defatted kenaf flour at 25% and 75% were used to make DKSY noodles and compared to wheat yellow noodles (Control). Fresh DKSY noodles were analyzed for their nutritional and physiochemical properties. The ash and fiber contents increased in order of Control > 25% DKSY > 75% DKSY noodles. While total phenolic contents (TPC) was found to be higher in 75% DKSY noodles (138.30 ± 1.63 mg GAE/100 g) than Control noodles. Colour (L, b) and hardness decreased in order of Control > 25% DKSY > 75% DKSY indicating that DKSY noodles developed less quality than Control noodles. However, cooking loss values were found to be in the same order while cooking values exist in the opposite order indicating that. DKSY noodles have better noodle cooking quality. In conclusion, nutritional properties and noodle cooking quality of yellow noodles increased with higher concentration of defatted kenaf flour but the physicochemical properties were compromised. More research needs to be done in order to develop a formulation that can increase all of the attributes studied.
Paper recycling plants usually buy their raw material from suppliers. More than often, bulk used paper supplied to the plant contains some significant quantity of water in its internal voids. It may be included intentionally or unintentionally. The price of used paper depends on its weight, thus adding water will help to increase weight and consequently increase the price. In this way, plant owner who purchase the used paper suffers a significant of financial lost. The objectives of our experiment are to establish a calibration curve that correlate between the amount of neutron backscattered and water content, and finally to develop a correction factor that need to be introduced to the measured values of water content. A fast neutron source (Am-Be 241) and a portable backscattering neutron detector were used for water measurement. The experiments were carried out by measuring neutron backscattering from used paper that has been added with different amount of water. As a result, a neutron calibration curve that provides a correlation between neutron backscattering and water content was established.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of milling methods on tensile properties of polypropylene (PP) / oil palm mesocarp fibre (OPMF) biocomposites. Two types of mills were used; Wiley mill (WM) and disc mill (DM). Ground OPMF from each milling process was examined for its particle size distribution and aspect ratio by sieve and microscopic analyses, respectively. Results showed that DM-OPMF had smaller diameter fibre with uniform particle size compared to the WM-OPMF. Surface morphology study by SEM showed that DM-OPMF had rougher surface compared to WM-OPMF. Furthermore, it was found that PP/DM-OPMF biocomposite had higher tensile strength compared to PP/WM-OPMF, with almost two-fold. Thus, it is suggested that small diameter and uniform size fibre may improve stress transfer and surface contact between the fibre and polymer matrix and cause well dispersion of filler throughout the polymer resulted in better tensile strength of PP/DM-OPMF Compared to PP/WM-OPMF biocomposite. Overall, it can be concluded that disc milling could serve as a simple and effective grinding method for improving the tensile properties of biocomposite.
The development of a new, low-cost building material that is composed of non-fired, pressed laterite bricks incorporating oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) fibre was investigated in this study. The main aim of this research was to study the physical and mechanical properties of laterite brick reinforced with OPEFB fibre, including dimensions, weight, density, water absorption and compressive strength. The tests were carried out according to BS 3921:1985 for water absorption and compressive strength tests. The mix proportion of the control bricks was 70% soil, 24% sand, and 6% cement. Meanwhile, the OPEFB fibre contents ranged from 1% to 5% by weight of cement. The specimens were taken from a total of 120 bricks. The findings withdrawn from this research were: firstly, the density of laterite bricks was decreased with the increase in the OPEFB fibre content of the bricks. Secondly, it was found that the addition of the OPEFB fibres improved the compressive strength of the bricks, and the maximum compressive strength determined in this study for bricks was with 3% fibre content. Finally, the water absorption results indicated a small increase in water absorption with the increase in the OPEFB fibre content in laterite bricks.