Bamboo Shavings (Bambusa Blumeana Schultes F.) and Water Hyacinth (Eichornia Crassipes) as Particle Board

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Intelligent use of natural resources to maintain sustainability is one of the issues that must be addressed nowadays. The forests covering in the Philippines continue to deplete as time goes by because of excessive cutting of trees to harvest different forest products. Many continue to find ways to answer this problem by experimenting and formulating composite materials using wood particles, and other agricultural waste products and transforming it into an engineered wood in place of more expensive plywood, this is known as particle boards. Its successful production will lessen the volume of agricultural wastes as well as water hyacinths and people will have profitable income out of unnoticeable treasures.

METHODS

This study was conducted to find out the level of quality of bamboo shavings and water hyacinth through different tests such as: internal bond, modulus of rupture (MOR), screw withdrawal, moisture content, thickness swelling, and water absorption; the mean level of acceptability of the product in terms of its appearance, quality and durability; and the significant difference among the ratings given by the groups of respondents on the level of its acceptability in terms of appearance, quality and durability. Descriptive and experimental research designs in testing the hypothesis were used and analyzing the data gathered from the ratings of 30 respondents composed of carpenters, painters, and distributors of particle board from Santa Cruz, Laguna. The statistical tools used were weighted mean, standard deviation, and ANOVA (F-test).

RESULTS

For the internal bond test, the only specimen with 30/70% water hyacinth and bamboo shavings passed the standard. All specimens passed the modulus of rupture test. For screw withdrawal test, only samples 50/50% and 30%/70% of water hyacinth and bamboo shavings passed the standard value. For moisture content test, mixtures having 30/70% and 70/30% passed. On thickness swelling test, a specimen with 30/70% water hyacinth and bamboo shavings passed. In the water absorption test, none of the specimens passed. The overall mean ratings on the level of acceptability of bamboo shavings and water hyacinth as particle board clearly revealed that the respondents rated the product in terms of appearance, quality, and durability as "highly acceptable."

DISCUSSIONS

The results show that bamboo shavings and water hyacinth served as an alternative in making low-density particle board.