RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 14 No. 2, December 2002, p. 10-17

EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PRE-TREATMENTS ON XYCLOSE AND GLUCOSE PRODUCTION FROM OIL PALM PRESS FIBRE

ASTIMAR Abdul Aziz *; DAS, Kumudeswar** ; MOHAMAD Husin* ; ANIS Mokhtar*

ABSTRACT

Several physical and chemical pre-treatments were attempted to maximize the production of xylose and glucose from the hydrolysis and saccharification of hemicellulose and cellulose from oil palm press fibre. Bleached (holocellulose, PI), alkaline treated (PII) and untreated oil palm press fibre (PIII) of different sizes (<0.3 mm, 0.3 – 0.4 mm and >0.4 mm) were first pre-hydrolysed with H2SO4to produce xylose. All the treatments showed that the maximum yield of xylose was obtained from fibre of >0.4 mm, and the lowest from fibre of <0.3 mm. The latter result is believed to be due to residual kernel, shell and other impurities present from the grinding. At the optimum size of >0.4 mm, sample PII gave the highest yield of xylose (67.8 g litre-1) and the lowest yield was from PIII (29.2 g litre-1) while PI gave 44.5 g litre-1. The percentages of conversion of dry weight of oil palm press fibre were 23.9%, 9.3% and 22.3%, respectively. Saccharification of the residues from pre-hydrolysis of PI, PII and PIII (celluclast 1.5 L; 1500 IU g-1, novozyme 188; 250 IU g-1, pH 4.8, temperature 48ºC, agitation at 150 rpm for 48 hr) gave yields of glucose of 9.8, 35.8 and 18.8 g litre-1, respectively. The percentages of conversion of dry weight of oil palm press fibre were 18.0%, 45.2% and 27.8%, respectively. The acid hydrolysed residue of PI treated with 2% (w/v) NaOH at 121ºC for 120 min (after soaking overnight at ambient temperature) gave the highest yield of glucose from saccharification (73.2 g litre-1) (51.3% conversion of the dry weight of oil palm press fibre). The studies indicated that chemical pre-treatments of the fibre with mild acid followed by alkaline delignification before saccharification with enzyme, gave the maximum yields of xylose and glucose

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* Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
P. O. Box 10620,
50720 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

** Universiti Sains Malaysia,
11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.