Characterization of palm kernel shell for materials reinforcement and water treatment

Abstract

As developing nations strive for economic sustainability, effort is geared towards exploiting biomass materials that could have alternative uses to their conventional low valued uses in order to achieve this goal. It is because of this that palm kernel shell, a byproduct of oil palm processing, is characterized for its application in construction and water treatment industries. The materials physical and chemical properties determined using standard methods show that it can find useful application in light weight construction as material filler and as sorbent material for industrial water treatment. The results of the x-ray photo spectrometry (XPS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal that the palm kernel shell (PKS) contains surface elements, morphology and crystalline qualities well required of material fillers in construction and adsorption industries. These can add to the market values of palm kernel shell as against its direct combustion and wastage of the material at oil palm processing mills.

Study of Breakage Tendencies of Palm Kernel, Coconut and Periwinkle Shells using Ball-Milling Process

“…Carbon (C) may represent amorphous organic compounds present in the PKS as revealed by broad peaks in Figure 8. This observation is analogous to that of (Edmund et al, 2014). Similarly, sizes of uncarbonised CNS and PS particles vary between 0 and 191 nm and 0 and 148 nm, respectively.…”

“…Palm Kernel Shells (PKS) have been assessed as partial replacement for material reinforcement in concrete and water treatment (Falade, 1992, Okoroigwe et al, 2014. It has been characterised and reported to possess organic compounds (source of carbons and nitrogen) and minerals matter (silicates, oxides, etc) suitable for material fillers in construction and absorption industries (Festus et al, 2012, Alengaram et al, 2010.…”

Performance and Short Term Durability of Palm Kernel Shell as a Substrate Material in a Pilot Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland Treating Slaughterhouse Wastewater

“…PKS has been used for different purposes in the construction industry because of its relative abundance and certain properties such as high compaction, low density and strong interlocking properties (Amu et al, 2008). Okoroigwe et al (2014) stated that some characteristics of PKS support its application as both construction material filler and water treatment agent in the food and beverage industry.…”

“…Nigeria is presently the fifth largest oil palm producing nation, accounting for 1.5% of the global output (Izah, Ohimain, 2016). The total area for oil palm in Nigeria was estimated at 3,053,974 hectares (FAO, 2018) and approximately 15 to 18 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches are produced per hectare per year, with PKS making up about 64% of the bunch mass (Okoroigwe et al, 2014). This has created a serious environmental challenge of PKS disposal.…”

A Study on the Curing Characteristics, Tensile, Fatigue, and Morphological Properties of Alkali-Treated Palm Kernel Shell-Filled Natural Rubber Composites

“…In this research, palm kernel shell (PKS) was used as filler in NR composites. Palm kernel shell (PKS) is predominantly amorphous, due to a high lignin content, and its crystalline content is only 15% (Okoroigwe et al 2014). Lignin is a complex aromatic biopolymer that functions as coupling agent binding woody plant cells together and providing support to the entire plant structure.…”