In situ measurements of complex permittivity and moisture content in oil palm fruits

Oil palm frond pulp (OPF) was blended with activated carbon for the purpose of active packaging in this preliminary study. It was aimed to investigate the effect of in-situ activated carbon on physical and mechanical properties of the pulp handsheets made from OPF. Testing of property performances of the resulted handsheets included density, moisture content, thickness swelling, folding, tensile strength, %elongation, stiffness, and modulus of rupture. Ultimately, the intention is to use for prospected active packaging for fresh produce. OPF pulp was prepared by the kraft process. The pulp stock was mixed with different proportions of activated carbon (0, 10, 20, and 30% w/w). The results showed that an increased proportion of activated carbon decreased density and thickness selling, but had no effect on moisture content.

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Complex permittivity and moisture measurements of oil palm fruits using an open-ended coaxial sensor

IEEE Sensors Journal ◽

10.1109/jsen.2005.859249 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 5 (6) ◽

pp. 1281-1287 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Z. Abbas ◽

You Kok Yeow ◽

A.H. Shaari ◽

K. Khalid ◽

J. Hassan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Complex Permittivity ◽

Oil Palm ◽

Palm Fruits

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Modelling microwave heating of an oil palm mesocarp

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201824001017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 240 ◽

pp. 01017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ming Law ◽

Jessie Chang

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Microwave Heating ◽

Oil Palm ◽

Electromagnetic Waves ◽

Oil Quality ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Three Dimensional Model ◽

Heating Efficiency ◽

Heating Model ◽

Palm Fruits

An oil palm mill often uses steam in sterilization and fruit detachment processes. Consequently, a large amount of wastewater is produced. To reduce the wastewater, microwave (MW) heating of oil palm fruits has been studied and positive results were reported in open literature. Nevertheless, MW heating of oil palm fruits requires proper control to avoid overheating, which deteriorates the oil quality. MW heating efficiency depends not only on the electromagnetic strength, but also on the complex permittivity of oil palm fruits. This study reports the MW heating model of an oil palm mesocarp. The three-dimensional model solved Maxwell’s Electromagnetic waves equation, diffusion equation of moisture content, and heat conduction equation. The model was validated with mesocarp’s experimental data of moisture content and temperatures. The electromagnetics, moisture, and temperature distributions of the mesocarp were studied. The simulation results showed that the volumeand surface-averaged temperature were similar, thus the surface temperature might be used as a good approximation to the volumetric temperature. Besides, the model also showed that radiation and convection were the main heat loss mechanisms. This validated model can be used for designing a microwave heating reactor for oil palm fruits.

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