Oil palm is an important crop that is widespread in tropical regions. Cultivated for abundant palm oil production. This plant also produces waste called palm oil shells. Palm oil shells are the part that remains after extraction of palm oil from the seeds. Even though it is often considered waste, palm oil shells actually have a variety of potential and uses. Therefore, palm shell suppliers use palm kernel shells to process them into something more useful.
The following are some of the benefits and uses of palm oil shells:
1. Biomass and Energy Sources
Palm oil shells are an abundant source of biomass. Biomass is organic material originating from plants or animals that can be converted into energy. Palm oil shells contain high levels of active carbon, calories and volatile matter, so they can be used as fuel to produce steam, electricity or gas.
One way to utilize palm oil shells as an energy source is to use them as boiler fuel in palm oil mills. A boiler is a device used to convert water into steam using heat from burning fuel. The steam produced can be used to drive turbines and generate electricity, or for other palm oil production processes.
Apart from that, palm oil shells can also be processed into charcoal briquettes, which is a solid fuel made from a mixture of palm oil shells and adhesive materials such as starch. Charcoal briquettes have a solid, compact shape, making them easy to store and transport. Charcoal briquettes can be used as a substitute for kerosene or other fossil fuels for cooking, heating or generating electricity.
2. Charcoal Raw Material
Palm oil shells can also be used as raw material for high quality charcoal. Charcoal is a black material formed from heating organic materials without air or with limited air. Charcoal has many uses, such as for cooking, filtering water, fertilizing the soil, or as a chemical.
To make charcoal from palm oil shells, a pyrolysis process is required, namely heating palm oil shells at high temperatures without air or with limited air. This process will produce charcoal, gas and condensate. Charcoal produced from palm oil shells has a high active carbon content, which is around 20-22 percent. Activated carbon is a substance that can absorb various organic or inorganic molecules from solutions or gases.
Charcoal from palm oil shells can be used as raw material for activated charcoal, namely charcoal that has been activated by heating at high temperatures in the presence of an oxidizing gas such as water vapor or carbon dioxide. Activated charcoal has a very large surface area and porosity, so it can absorb more molecules than regular charcoal. Activated charcoal can be used to filter water, removing color, odor, taste, or harmful substances from the water. Activated charcoal can also be used to remove toxins, drugs, or other chemicals from the human body.
3. Animal Feed Mixture
Palm oil shells can also be used as a good animal feed mixture. Animal feed is food given to domestic animals such as cows, goats, chickens or fish. Animal feed must contain balanced nutrition, such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water.
Cangkang kelapa sawit memiliki kandungan serat kasar yang tinggi, yaitu sekitar 40-50 persen. Serat kasar adalah bagian dari karbohidrat yang tidak dapat dicerna oleh enzim pencernaan manusia, tetapi dapat dicerna oleh mikroorganisme di usus besar hewan ruminansia seperti sapi atau kambing. Serat kasar dapat membantu proses pencernaan hewan ruminansia, meningkatkan kesehatan usus, dan mengurangi risiko penyakit pencernaan.
Palm oil shells also have a high lignin content, which is around 30-35 percent. Lignin is a substance that provides strength and rigidity to plant cell walls. Lignin can increase the calorific value of animal feed, so it can provide more energy to animals. Lignin can also reduce nitrogen loss from the animal's body, thereby increasing the efficiency of protein use.
To use it as a mixture of animal feed, palm oil shells must first be processed by grinding, fermenting or hydrolyzing. This process aims to increase the nutritional content and reduce the anti-nutrient content of palm oil shells. Anti-nutrients are substances that can interfere with the absorption or metabolism of nutrients by the animal's body.
4. Road Paving Materials
Palm oil shells can also be used as a strong and economical paving material. Roads are infrastructure used to connect various places using motorized or non-motorized vehicles. Roads must have a flat, smooth and durable surface so that they can be used comfortably and safely.
Palm oil shells have good mechanical properties, such as compressive strength, tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. This mechanical property shows the ability of a material to withstand the load or force applied to it without experiencing damage or changing shape. Palm oil shells also have good physical properties, such as low specific gravity, low porosity and low permeability. This physical property shows the material's ability to withstand water or air that enters it.
To use it as a paving material, palm oil shells must be mixed with other materials such as Portland cement, sand or clay. This mixture is then compacted using a compactor such as a roller or vibrator. This mixture can be used as a base layer or road surface layer.
Palm kernel shells have several advantages compared to fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. Some of these advantages are:
– Palm kernel shells have a high carbon content (around 50%) and quite high calorific value (around 20,100 kJ/kg).
– Palm kernel shells have low water content (around 15-20%) and low ash content (around 3-5%).
– Palm kernel shells are a renewable energy source that can be renewed sustainably.
– Palm kernel shells are a clean energy source and do not cause air pollution, because they do not produce greenhouse gases such as CO2, SO2 and NOx.
– Palm kernel shells are an economical and efficient energy source, because they can reduce operational and equipment maintenance costs.
Not all palm oil factories can use palm shells as fuel. Several influencing factors are the availability of palm shells, the quality of palm shells, and appropriate burning equipment. Therefore, there is a need to find palm shell suppliers who can provide palm shells with quantity and quality that meets standards.
One of the trusted suppliers of palm shells is PT Massa Cahaya Quadrat (PT MCQ). This company operates in the field of renewable energy supplies and solutions, which provides various types of biomass fuel such as palm shells, wood pellets and wood chips. PT MCQ also provides solution services for industries that want to replace fossil fuels with renewable fuels.
PT MCQ has experience as a palm shell supplier in exporting palm shells to various countries such as Japan, South Korea and China. This company is also in the process of obtaining a GGL (Green Gold Label) certificate to meet market needs that require certain certifications. PT MCQ guarantees the availability, quality and competitive price of palm shells.
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