Oleochemicals are derived from natural plants such as palm oil and other vegetable oils. There are five basic oleochemicals, namely fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty methyl esters, fatty amines and glycerol (Ong et al., 1989). Palm-based oleochemicals have a diverse range of applications, including as surfactants, personal care products, soaps, detergents and food additives. Surfactants […]

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powder was prepared by acid treatment of the cellulose extracted from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibre (Ramli et al., 2015, Rosnah et al., 2009). Traditionally MCC was obtained from wood, cotton (Suzuki and Nakagami, 1999), and cotton linters (Nada et al., 2009). There are a few reports of MCC derived […]

Lubricants are comprised of two main components, i.e. base oil (70%-90%) and additives to modify/improve the base oil’s properties. Most lubricant base oils are produced from non-renewable source such as mineral-based oil which can be divided into mineral and synthetic categories. It is a substance introduced between two moving surfaces to keep them apart and […]

Research on bio-based polymers and resins in industrial applications has seen some progress as well as the products facing competition with their petroleum-based counterparts. The demand for bio-based polymers and resins is due to their property of environmental friendliness as they are made from renewable resources (Ashraf et al., 2015). Additionally, human health is compromised […]

A light skin tone is considered a superior trait in most races, particularly among Asian and African women. Realising the demand for fair skin, many cosmetic companies are developing different molecules for use as skinlightening products. There are many commercial skin-lightening products readily available over-the-counter which use depigmenting agents such as hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic […]

Chocolate is a product craved for and desired by many people. Good quality chocolate has smooth texture, good snap ability and glossiness, and most importantly melts in the mouth. The quality of chocolate has a close relationship with the fat component of the chocolate in that it should solidify at room temperature and fully melt […]

Deep-fried or baked batter food products receive very high demand nowadays. They are made of meat, vegetables and other materials such as cheese. One well-known product that falls under this category is chicken nuggets. The product was invented in the 1950s by Robert C. Baker who was a professor in Food Science at Cornell University. […]