Effectiveness of coconut leaf midribs as raw materials in particle board using polycol aqua as binder/
Jerald Cambaya, Christian N. Luberas, John Paul J. Macababbad, John Ivan Z. Malit, and Rodrigo M. Tahup Jr.--
- Manila: Technological University of the Philippines, 2025.
- ix, 99pages: 29cm.
Bachelor's thesis
College Of Industrial Technology.--
Includes bibliographic references and index.
Particleboard is a panel product made of lignocellulosic materials, primarily in the form of discrete particles, that have been combined with a synthetic resin or other suitable binder and glued together using heat and pressure. The feasibility of non-wood alternatives has
been studied for a long time as technology has developed. While the use of urea- formaldehyde in particleboard manufacturing has been shown to pose health risks to
humans, formaldehyde, a hazardous chemical produced from fossil fuels, is necessary for the manufacturing process. This study investigates the compatibility of Coconut Leaf Midrib and Polycol Aqua as a binder for producing particleboard. The coconut leaf midrib particleboard is intended to be used for general purposes as the primary component in the construction of ceilings and for cabinet-making purposes. An experimental mix design was employed where particleboards were manufactured using three different mix designs: 60:40, 65:35, and 70:30. Each mix design was replicated 3 times for a more accurate result. The boards had dimensions of 300mm × 300mm × 12mm with a target density of 0.80g/cc. all particleboards undergo an internal bond (IB) test and modulus of rupture (MOR) test for mechanical properties. All the tests and required specifications followed the PNS ISO 16893:2017 standards in line with PGP – REG for Dry Conditions. The results showed that only IB test passed, with Mix Design 1 obtaining the highest result at 0.73MPa, while all Mix Designs for MOR did not meet the minimum requirement of 10.5MPa. The process of creating the particleboards involved preparing the samples, mixing, molding, pressing, cutting, and evaluating their mechanical properties. The specimen was subjected to an evaluation of the acceptability of the product using TUP Instrument for Developed Prototype. The project evaluation reflected an average mean of 4.13 which can be interpreted as “Very Acceptable”.