Palm oil, an important pillar of the global edible oil market, has long been regarded as a low-value by-product in terms of the palm press fiber generated during its production. However, with the deepening of the concept of circular economy and breakthroughs in material science, this natural cellulose-rich material is gradually transforming from a waste to a high value-added resource. In this paper, we will systematically sort out the diversified utilization strategies of palm pressed fiber from the three dimensions of technology path, industrial application and market prospect.
I. Optimization and upgrading of traditional energy utilization
In traditional palm oil mills, pressed fiber and husk are often burned directly for power generation, and their calorific value can be up to 4420MJ/kg, and each ton of solid fuel can produce 578kg of steam, which meets more than 80% of the mill’s energy demand. However, this crude utilization method has problems such as low thermal efficiency and high pollutant emission. Modern technology has been upgraded by:
Gasification for power generation: Fibers are pyrolyzed in an oxygen-deficient environment to generate syngas for gas turbine power generation, raising the energy conversion efficiency to more than 35%, an increase of 12 percentage points over direct combustion.
Biomass carbonization: biocarbon is produced by controlling the combustion conditions, with a calorific value of 30 MJ/kg, which can not only be used for industrial heating, but also be used as a soil conditioner to enhance the carbon sink capacity of farmland.
Biogas co-production system: the fiber and palm oil mill wastewater synergistic anaerobic fermentation, each ton of fiber can produce biogas 150-200 cubic meters, to achieve the double benefits of energy and environmental protection.
Second, technological breakthroughs in the utilization of high value-added materialization
Through physical and chemical modification technology, palm pressed fibers are gradually penetrating into high-end manufacturing fields:
Composite material reinforcement: the length of fibers after alkali treatment can be up to 5-8mm, and after being compounded with polypropylene, the tensile strength of the material is enhanced by 40% and the bending modulus is increased by 25%, and it has been applied to automobile interior parts and building templates.
Textile fiber development: using enzymatic-mechanical opening process, textile fibers with fineness of 1.5-2.5dtex can be produced, and blended with cotton (ratio of 30:70), the breathability of the fabric reaches 1,200g/m²-24h, and the moisture absorption rate is 8.5%, which meets the demand of sportswear.
Environmentally friendly packaging materials: through hot press molding technology, tableware and cushioning packaging with a biodegradation rate of more than 90% can be prepared, with mechanical properties up to 80% of those of polystyrene, and at a cost reduction of 35%.
III. Innovative applications in agriculture and environmental protection
Palm pressed fiber shows unique value in recycled agriculture and ecological restoration:
Precision agricultural mulching: fiber-based mulch can regulate soil temperature and humidity, increasing corn yield by 12%-15% while reducing herbicide use by 40%.
Heavy metal pollution remediation: the sulfhydryl-modified fiber has an adsorption capacity of 120mg/g for Cd²⁺, which is 5 times higher than the original fiber, and has been used for soil remediation in mining areas.
Water purification materials: fiber loaded with nano zero-valent iron, the COD removal rate of dye wastewater up to 92%, the treatment cost is 60% lower than activated carbon.
Challenges and Countermeasures for Industrial Application
Current constraints mainly include: high energy consumption of fiber separation technology (accounting for 35% of the processing cost), insufficient stability of the modification process, and low market awareness. Solutions include:
Develop low-temperature plasma pretreatment technology to reduce separation energy consumption by 20%
Establish a “fiber-modifier-end product” industry chain standard system
Enhance the product premium through carbon footprint certification, the European Union market has already seen palm fiber-based products at a premium of 15% -20% of the phenomenon
V. Outlook of future development trend
With the explosive growth of the bio-based materials market, the palm fiber press is ushering in a historic opportunity. With the explosive growth of the bio-based material market, palm pressed fiber is ushering in a historic opportunity. It is expected that by 2030, the global market size will exceed 5 billion U.S. dollars, with a compound annual growth rate of 18%. Technological breakthroughs include:
Gene editing to cultivate oil palm varieties with high fiber content
Development of fiber-reinforced composites for 3D printing
R&D of smart responsive fiber materials
From energy fuel to high-end materials, from agricultural waste to ecological restorative agent, the value reconstruction process of palm pressed fiber is a vivid practice of the concept of circular economy. With the continuous advancement of technological innovation, this once-neglected by-product will surely play a greater role in the process of global sustainable development.
gao
Henan Zhongrui Grain is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the research, development, manufacture and sales of oil press equipment, and has been deeply engaged in the field of oil processing for more than ten years. The company integrates design, production and testing, and its products cover screw oil press, hydraulic oil press, automatic refining production line, etc., which are suitable for rapeseed, peanut, soybean, sesame and other oilseeds, and help customers to realize efficient, energy-saving and environmentally friendly oil and grease production.
