Coconut Fibre and Sawdust as Green Building Materials: A Laboratory Assessment on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Particleboards

Abstract

This paper evaluates, via a laboratory assessment, the physical properties (BS EN 323:1993, BS EN 324) and mechanical performance (BS EN 310: 1993) of hybrid particleboards using agricultural wastes, namely coconut fibre and sawdust. The process begins with the preparation of the materials where they are sieved and retained with the 5-mm sieve and then oven-dried. The hybrid particleboard mixed with the addition of resin (urea formaldehyde) was sprayed and hot pressed. The hot press temperature was set at 180 °C, with the resin content of 8 wt.% and the design density of 650 kg/m3 used in producing the particleboard. The percentage/ratio of the composition of sawdust (SD) to coconut fibre (CF) varied ranging from 100SD:0CF to 70SD:30CF, 50SD:50CF, 30SD:70CF, and 0SD:100CF. Meanwhile, as for the thickness of the boards, it was categorised into three groups which are 16 mm, 20 mm, and 32 mm. The particleboards were conditioned to the room temperature for seven days before being tested for physical properties and mechanical performances. The results show that the most optimum composition of sawdust to coconut fibre is 0% sawdust to 100% coconut fibre (0SD: 100CF) and the optimum thickness is 20 mm, where its density is 761.99 kg/m3, swelling thickness is 11.98%, and water absorption at 37.64%. With the modulus of elasticity of 1510 N/mm2, the modulus of rupture of 17.8 N/mm2, and the internal bonding of 1.08 N/mm2, they satisfied the universal standard of Particleboard Type P3 of BS EN 312:2010.

Research Progress of Carbon-Neutral Design for Buildings

“…Building carbon neutrality is a major research focus in the field of architecture, with ongoing expansion and deepening of related research areas. The evolution of research hotspots in this field can be revealed through methods such as timeline spectra and keyword cluster analysis [41]. Timeline spectra can display the appearance and evolution of different clustering focuses, thereby helping researchers understand the development of various research fields.…”

The Emerging Role of Plant-Based Building Materials in the Construction Industry—A Bibliometric Analysis

“…Ryłko-Polak et al [47] highlighted that lignin and its derivatives are also used in construction, mainly as additives in cement composites and bitumen substitutes [59]. Tawasil et al [60] studied the production of fiberboard made from waste coconut shells and found that the higher the composition of coconut fiber in the coconut fiber sawdust sheets was, the better the physical and mechanical performance became; the percentage of water absorption decreased, and the bending modulus of the plate also increased. Maximino et al [61] evaluated the applicability of sustainable building materials from waste with mycelium binders in the construction industry.…”

Milling Time Effects on the Thermal Degradation, Density, and Porosity of Coconut Shell-Reinforced Epoxy Biocomposites

“…Many studies on biocomposites have been conducted. For instance, natural fibre-based composites have been derived from rice straw, cogon grass, seaweed, and coconut (Jumaidin et al, 2020;Li et al, 2010;Motavalli et al, 2010;Tawasil et al, 2021).…”

“…In 2019, worldwide coconut production was approximately 61 million tons (Laura W., 2019). Besides being biodegradable and absent of health hazards, coconut shells have a high modulus and excellent lignin (more than 30%) (Ikumapayi et al, 2020;Tawasil et al, 2021). Several studies of the biocomposite from coconut shells have been carried out (Ismail et al, 2020;Ismail et al, 2022).…”