Porosity and Pore Volume Analysis of EFB Fiber: Physical Characterization and Effect of Thermal Treatment

Abstract

This research looked at the shape and physical properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibre heated to 160°C, mainly looking at the number of pores and their size. The results showed that the EFB sample had a porosity of 68.98% with a pore volume reaching 40.69 cm³ from a total volume of 58.99 cm³. This indicates that most material consists of void spaces or pores, which have potential applications in porous materials such as filtration and adsorption. The microscopic pictures showed that the pores were not spread out evenly, with dense areas being spread out. The density distribution also revealed that the material's structure was not uniform, with larger pores and denser areas concentrating at smaller diameters. This study concluded that thermal treatment at 160°C significantly increased the porosity of the EFB material while maintaining a reasonably dense solid area. These findings provide valuable insights into using biomass waste for applications requiring porous properties and mechanical strength, especially in the energy storage, filtration, and adsorption industries.