| Summary: | Due to increasing global demand for wood and wood products, government policies open new opportunities to use alternative raw materials, such as oil palm, bamboo, kenaf, and various agricultural residues. At present, wood is the main raw material in particleboard and fiberboard industries worldwide, and Malaysia is dependent on rubberwood (RW) as the main material. The demand for raw materials for MDF is continuously increasing. As a lesser-known and underutilized wood species, agricultural residues have become alternative raw materials to fulfill the demands for lignocellulose-based products. Due to the shortage of RW supply and higher prices, oil palm biomass is a potential source of non-wood materials for this industry. On the other hand, the government of Malaysia has promoted the use of other natural fibers for this deficiency and utilized plantation wastes. Oil palm biomass can be a viable replacement for wood that has shown potential due to its high versatility where it has been used for various products. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|---|