2nd ASEAN Sago Symposium 2012, UNIMAS, Kota Samarahan ...

2 nd ASEAN Sago Symposium 2012, UNIMAS, Kota Samarahan
Advances in Sago Research and Development
Paper 22
Sago Starch Based Biocomposite Reinforced with Kenaf Fibres
A.R. Nur Humairah*, A. Zuraida & A. W. Nur Izwah
Department of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic
University Malaysia, P.O. Box 10, 50728 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
*Email address of corresponding author: nurhumairah87@gmail.com
A biocomposite was developed from sago starch reinforced with kenaf bast fibres (Hibiscus
canabinus) through compression moulding technique. The aims of the kenaf fibres
reinforcement were to enhance the properties of the starch based composite as well as to
reduce the dependency of synthetic polymers within composite materials. The investigated
biocomposite was prepared at varying fibres content of 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 wt.% and the effect
of the fibres incorporation was evaluated by tensile test, morphological analysis and physical
studies, namely density and moisture content. Tensile test resulted in an increment of tensile
properties with the increase of fibres content until it reaches an optimum at 20 wt.% of fibre
loading. Morphological analysis revealed the occurrence of good wetting between the matrix
and fibres while the density and moisture content of the biocomposite reduced with higher
fibres content.
Paper 23
The Utilization of Large Suckers as Sago Planting Materials.
Nadirman Haska*, M. Minaldi & Y. S. Ahmad Fauzan
Centre of the Assessment of Biotechnology (Biotech Centre), The Agency for the Assessment and Application
of Technology (BPPT). Building 630 PUSPIPTEK Serpong, Tangerang Selatan, Banten 15314, INDONESIA.
*Email address of corresponding author: nadirmanh@yahoo.com
There are a lot of investors interested in sago based commodity business. Exploitation of
natural sago forest must be followed by cultivation, which means conversion of natural sago
forest into cultivation or sago cultivation forest. Thus, supplies of readily planting materials
become a problem. The utilization of seedlings directly from pruning activity or purposely
taken from the clumps did not show a satisfying result. Procurement of planting materials
grown by nursing on a rafts, canals, or river had shown poor vitality and slow growth.
Propagation using ex-situ method was effective only in early cultivation, as inner filler plants in
the conversion of natural sago forest into cultivation cannot keep up with the growth of original
mature plants. The utilization of planting materials from small suckers from ex-situ propagation
result took a longer time, which was 10 years. More realistic and practical approach was needed
to develop sago cultivation from sago forest. Natural sago stands have tight clumps with highly
variable suckers in terms of size and ages from small seedlings to mature plants.The utilization
of large suckers as planting materials, can be used for planting within or nearby the sago plant
or clump origin. This relocation was only less than 50 m in the natural sago forest of Papua and
West Papua Indonesia. Only a small number was more than 50 m, but less than 100 m. There
were 3-5 standard suckers from natural sago forest clumps. The collection of 1 – 2 suckers can
improve the plant growth rate of the clumps. A special treatment was needed in the preparation
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