Development of a Biodegradable Material with Oregano Stick as a Prototype of Substitute for Wooden Agglomerate Material

Abstract

Oregano is a herb that is found in the wild in different parts of the world. The stick represents about 60% of the plant and is biodegradable, using lactic acid as a binding agent for the oregano stick. Waste oregano stick can be used to make biodegradable material which provides sustainable development in support and promotion of the circular economy by reducing pollution generated by chemical economy by reducing pollution generated by chemical products, agricultural waste, or products that accumulate in the environment spending years for its degradability. The originality of this project is present in the use of the oregano stick, a natural product which supplies the physicochemical characteristics of conventional raw materials used in the manufacture of wood. Oregano was collected and dried to separate the leaves from the stick. The stick was then ground, sieved at 0.118 mm and 0.025 mm, and then treated with one of two binders. For treatment 1, three samples were prepared with varying lactic acid concentrations and stick quantities with the addition of 0.3 mL of 2,2 azobisiso-butyronitrile (AIBN) 1% by weight. In treatment 2, three samples were prepared with varying polyvinyl acetate concentrations, diluted in acetone, stirred, poured into a mold, and placed in an oven at a temperature of 90 °C for 36 h. Bending and compression mechanical tests were performed on all samples; the data were analyzed by one-factor analysis of variance and Tukey test. The sample that performed the best had a value of 1.148 mm and 0.77333 kN in mechanical resistance and less elongation in compression. This sample also had a value of 0.8183 and a kN of 0.1559 with a lower mean, meaning higher resistance to bending. This sample also had the best results from the Modulus of Rupture (MOR) test with a value of 5.9958 MPas/m2.