Production and Characterization of Palm Fruit Shell Bio-Oil for Wood Preservation

Abstract

Pyrolytic liquid (bio-oil), produced by pyrolyzing the shell of the palm fruit, was characterized, and its preservative properties were examined using drywood termites ( Cryptotermes spp.) and blue stain fungi ( Ceratocystis spp.). The yield from shell bio-oil production ranged from 35 to 37 percent relative to the mass of the raw material. The shell bio-oil had the following properties: specific gravity (ranging from 1.0365 to 1.0431), refractive index (ranging from 1.3594 to 1.3613), wood absorption level (ranging from 0.0088 to 0.0625 g/cm 3 ), and retention (ranging from 0.0022 to 0.0141g/cm 3 ). The shell bio-oil also had termicidal activity as shown by drywood termite mortalities: 25 percent between days 3 and 6, 50 percent between days 3 and 20, and 100 percent between days 5 and 49 in termite resilience tests. Using a fluorescence microscope, we demonstrated that the shell bio-oil–treated wood completely inhibited the growth of blue stain fungi on both pine ( Pinus merkusii ) and Sengon ( Paraserianthes falcataria ) wood.