Oil Palm Trunk

Oil palm trunk (OPT) is a solid waste obtained in large quantities after the felling of oil palm trees and is available year-round. Oil palm is replanted on an average after 25 years. During replanting, the bole length of felled palm trunk is in the range of 7m to 13m, with a diameter of 45cm to 65cm, measured at breast height. Oil palm trunk could be an appropriate choice for an alternative source for compressed wood. Since the supply of wood is limited, the compression method could be applied to oil palm trunk biomass.

Oil palm trunk is not only abundant in this country but is also a cheap, environmentally friendly resource and can likely be converted into a value-added product such as compressed wood. The anatomy of oil palm trunk may differ from wood, but it could be effective for use as compressed wood with some modifications. Use of non-wood resources could overcome the issue of limited wood supply.