A handout photo shows an MPOB polyol pilot plant.

KUCHING (Dec 31): The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has invited those in the polyol and polyurethane industries to use its polyol pilot plants for pre-commercial trials and research and development (R&D) purposes.

Located at the MPOB head office, the board has invested about RM2 million to establish three pilot plants – with a capacity of 150 litres, 500 litres, and 1,000 litres – to produce palm-based polyols to enhance its research.

“The pilot plants have been receiving an encouraging response from players. Among the players who have used the facilities at the three pilot plants include Magnechem Sdn Bhd, Rovski Sdn Bhd, Rokisar Sdn Bhd, Techbond Greentech Sdn Bhd, and German-Malaysia Institute,” said MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir in a statement today.

He said industry players should explore the polyol pilot plants, which are well-equipped with facilities to produce not only palm-based polyols but other products as well such as epoxidised palm oil and dihydroxystearic acid (DHSA).

The three pilot plants offer facilities including reactants feed tanks, two main reactors for the epoxidation and alcoholysis reactions, settling tank, and drying vessel.

The utilities supporting the pilot plant include a cooling tower, hot water boiler, heating oil system, and air compressor. Each of the reactors, tanks, and vessel are equipped with a motor stirrer.

“The polyol pilot plant facilities at MPOB are capable of producing a maximum of 80 per cent of the total capacity (1,650 litres) for all of the three plants,” said Ahmad Parveez.

MPOB researchers have established over 10 new types of palm-based polyols for application in polymers, specifically environmentally-friendly polyurethanes, following over two decades of dedicated research in developing bio-polyols from natural oils and oleochemicals.

The developed palm-based polyols include pioneer series or palm olein-based polyols, fatty acid-based polyol, used cooking oil-based polyol; and PolyFAME series or fatty acid methyl ester-based polyols, acrylated epoxidised palm oil polyol and co-polymers polyol.