Changes in the water absorption properties of pulp mold manufactured with oil palm EFB by surface treatments

Abstract

The applicability of oil palm biomass, EFB(Empty Fruit Bunch) as raw materials for environmental friendly packaging material, pulp mold, was evaluated in this study. The changes in the water absorption properties of pulp mold by the addition of EFB and the surface treatments with PVA and AKD were analyzed by measuring the changes in the water absorption rate and the water contact angle. The each pulp mold sample was prepared by using laboratory wet pulp molder. And the water absorption rate of each samples were evaluated by measuring times for the absorption of a 0.1 ml water drop on the pulp mold sample surface. The addition of EFB to the pulp mold made of OCC resulted in the decrease of water absorption rate and the increase in the water contact angle. The surface treatments with PVA and AKD on the OCC pulp mold showed the significant reduction in the water absorption rate. However, in case of ONP pulp mold, the addition of EFB and the surface treatments with PVA and AKD showed no big changes in water absorption times. Those might be come from the finer surface structure of ONP pulp mold which were made of more finer and flexible fibers and more hydrophilic fibers. The results of this study showed the functional properties such as water absorption rate, could be controlled by the application of EFB and the treatments with AKD or PVA, especially in case of the OCC pulp mold.