DOHA: Qatar University Centre for Advanced Materials (QU-CAM) has undertaken a research project to utilise date palm waste to produce sustainable, value-added products.
Entitled ‘Renewable palm waste: More valuable than people think’, the project is led by Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) Polymer Chair Prof Igor Krupa at QU, and includes Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Patrik Soboliciak, and Research Assistant Aisha Tanvir.
“Qatar is home to more than 600,000 palm trees, which results in large amounts of palm waste being generated every year.
“This waste is usually incinerated which not only results in loss of a valuable resource, but incineration is also environmentally unfriendly.
“To overcome the issue, the centre is focusing on extracting nanocellulose from palm waste. This cellulose can then be used in a variety of applications such as reinforcement of polymers, water purification, paper manufacture and more,” said CAM Director Prof Mariam Al Maadeed.
“It is fitting that date palm, which is indigenous to Qatar and deeply embedded in our cultural history, is found to be exhibiting strong potential as a sustainable green reinforcement material.
“This research activity embodies QU’s continued commitment to actively tackle local challenges and research solutions for real-world problems and is in line with Qatar’s stated ambitions towards building a knowledge-based economy,” he added.
Nanocellulose extracted from date palm waste exhibits mechanical properties akin to Kevlar, a lightweight material used to manufacture high-strength products, Prof Krupa said.
“Similar mechanical properties and being an environment-friendly material makes nanocellulose a superior alternative to Kevlar and other fossil fuel-based materials,” he said.
Dr Soboliciak said cellulose can be extracted from palm waste by employing chemical or mechanical processes. The cellulose nanofibers have the ability to replace common inorganic fibers for material reinforcement in the medical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.
“The transparent nature of cellulose nanocrystals also makes them promising candidates for use in protective eyewear, windows, or displays,” he added. The Peninsula
