UTILIZING AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES AND PLASTIC WASTE IN THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOSITE BOARD FOR RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION

Rice straw is agricultural waste which hasn’t been used optimally yet, especially in Indonesia. Meanwhile, rice straw contains cellulose that can be used form composite such particleboard. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of particleboard made of rice straw particle and polypropylene from plastic waste as adhesive were investigated. The rice straw and polypropylene compositions were varied: 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40 wt.%. The rice straw particle sizes were varied for 40 mesh, 50 mesh, and 60 mesh for each composition. X-Ray Fluorescent has been used to measure the chemical composition of our particleboard. The density of particleboard is 0.59-0.77 g / cm3. Its thickness swelling is less than 2%. Both density and thickness swelling has met the requirement for Indonesian Standard of particleboard. Our results showed that the density of particleboard strongly depends on rice straw particle size. As the particle size decreases, the density increases. The particle size of rice straw affects the thickness swelling of particleboard. The thickness swelling decreases as the particle size decreases. The major constituents of our particleboard are the SiO2, CaO, K2O. Our finding showed that the particle size has an essential role in the physical properties of particleboard.

The objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of the number of composite layers on the quality of the composite board from sago bark waste and plastic waste, and the number of composite layers that produce the best quality on composite board. The composite board is made with size 30 cm x 30 cm x 1 cm. The composition and division of the material was carried out manually with the polypropylene distribution divided into three parts: the front and rear respectively of 15%, and the center 70% of the plastic weight. Target density of composite boards was 0.7 g / cm3. The treatment used is based on the number of layers composing, which is 5 layers, 7 layers, 9 layers, 11 layers and 13 layers. After mixed the sago bark particle and waste of polypropylene, the materials then compressed with hot press at 180oC with pressure about ± 25 kg / cm2 for 10 minutes. The composite boards then tested the quality included physical and mechanical properties. Testing of physical and mechanical properties refers to JIS A 5908-2003 standard. Physical properties consist of density, moisture content, thickness swelling, and water absorption. Mechanical properties consist of modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, internal bonding, and modulus of screw holding strength. The study used a completely randomized design experiment consisting of 5 treatments and 3 replications. The results showed the average value of composite density was range between 0.6962 – 0.7896 g/cm3, the moisture content was range between 4.3388 % - 6.8066%, the thickness swelling was range between 8.2605% - 11.9615%, and water absorption was range between 17.2380% - 22.3867%. The average value of modulus of rupture was range between 60,0632 kg/cm2 – 64,4068 kg/cm2, the modulus of elasticity was range between 17935,1813g/cm2 – 32841,8278 kg/cm2, the internal bonding was range between 1,9268 kg/cm2 - 5,4119 kg/cm2, and the modulus of screw holding strength was range between 78,2530 kg/cm2 – 92,9677 kg/cm2. The composite board made from sago stem bark waste and polypropylene waste plastic with 13 layers treatment is the best composite board and fulfilled the JIS A 5908-2003 standard. Keywords: bark of sago, composite boards, layer of composite, polypropylenes plastic, waste

Inorganic thermal insulators are commonly used to improve energy efficiency. However, environmental and health aspects of their production until the end of life have been increasingly concerned. Agricultural wastes including rice straw, rice husk and corn cobs are abundant in Thailand and converted into value-added products such as thermal insulation materials offers a viable recycling opportunity as the ecological burden of a product has now become a widely-discussed issue. In this paper, global warming potential impact of thermal insulation materials made from agricultural wastes; rice straw, bagasse, coconut coir and oil palm fibre, were assessed by using IPCC 2007, while Eco-indicator 99 was applied to evaluate the endpoint impact. Moreover, those impact of three different forming processes including (i) hot-pressing, (ii) using concentrated latex as a binder and (iii) using mixed concentrated latex-chemicals as a binder were compared. The physical properties of the insulation pads were tested to identify qualities such as density, water absorption, thickness swelling, fire resistance and thermal conductivity. The eco-efficiency of the insulation pads was also measured the performance and environmental impact and compared with commercial thermal insulators. Results revealed that thermal insulators formed by mixed concentrated latex-chemicals had the lowest thermal conductivity, while those formed by hot-pressing had the highest. Thermal conductivity of the four agricultural waste thermal insulation materials varied between 0.042-0.087 W/mK. Insulators made from rice straw caused the greatest environmental impact followed by those made from bagasse, coconut coir and oil palm fibre respectively. The result of eco-efficiency of oil palm fibre insulator, formed by mixed concentrated latex-chemical, was best presented and closed to the eco-efficiency of commercial thermal insulators.

Because of progressively dumping of plastic wastes (PWs) obtained from beverage industry it is of interest to use them as reinforcement material in civil engineering projects. For assessing potential use of plastic wastes in improvement of shear strength of fine-grained soils, two clayey soils were mixed with different amount of plastic wastes (i.e. 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 3.0% by weight) and consolidated undrained triaxial tests were performed on the compacted samples. Test results indicate that variations of shear strength and pore water pressure depend on the amount and type of plastic waste. It is observed that, irrespective of clay plasticity, adding plastic waste to the fine-grained soils improves their shear strength and plastic waste content (PWC) of 3.0%, within the range of used amounts, has the best effect on the shear strength. Moreover, adding plastic waste causes to decrease shear-induced pore water pressure slowly. Furthermore, deformability of samples changes in term of plastic waste content, type of plastic and clay type. It can be concluded that there is a possible usage of clay-plastic waste mixtures as construction materials and, thereby, plastic wastes can be managed by recycling them in the field of geotechnical engineering, thus contributing to clean up the environment.

The generation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and garden waste must be recycled to support the circular economy. An alternative way to reduce the plastics waste is to reduce this waste by converting it into energy such as Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) as an alternative for processing waste. Substitution of plastic and garden waste is an opportunity to be analyzed. Hence, This study aimed to investigate the potential for converting material substitution from PET and garden waste into RDF. The RDF characterized test method was carried out by proximate, water content, ash content, and analysis. At the same time, the calorific value. was tested by bomb calorimetry. Substitution of the mixture of plastic and garden waste affects each parameter of RDF pellet quality including water, ash, and caloric value (sig.< 0.05). The increase of plastic waste in pellets consistently increases the calorific value of RDF from 18.94 until 25.04 MJ/kg. The RDF pellet water and ash content also invariably affect the rate of increase in the calorific value of RDF in the multilinearity model (sig.<0.05; R2 is 0.935). The thermal stability of the pellets occurred at a temperature of 5000C decomposition of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin in mixed garden waste with plastic in RDF pellets. The decrease in the decomposition of PET into terephthalic acid monomer from the thermal stability of raw materials and waste PET plastic pellets occurs at a temperature of 4500˚C. This potential finding can be used as a basis for consideration in regions or countries that have the generation of garden waste and plastic, especially the type of PET to be used as an environmentally friendly fuel.

Co-pyrolysis characteristics of forestry and agricultural residues and waste plastics: Thermal decomposition and products distribution

In southern Thailand, the accumulation of oil palm fronds and plastic waste, particularly discarded fishing nets from local fishery and farming communities, poses significant environmental challenges due to limited large-scale recycling options. This study aims to develop innovative composite materials for architectural applications by utilizing oil palm fronds and plastic fishing net waste, thereby reducing environmental pollution and promoting sustainable waste management. The research employs an experimental approach to fabricate composite panels through a systematic formation process, followed by comprehensive testing of their physical and mechanical properties. Physical properties evaluated include density, thickness swelling, and water absorption, while mechanical properties encompass modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and internal bonding strength (IB). The results demonstrate that incorporating plastic fishing net waste significantly enhances the composite’s density, flexural strength (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and tensile strength perpendicular to the surface. Specifically, these properties exhibit a positive correlation with the proportion of plastic fishing net waste in the composite mix, with optimal performance observed at higher plastic ratios. Conversely, thickness swelling decreases as the plastic content increases, indicating improved dimensional stability. All tested composite panel specimens meet or exceed the requirements of the Thai Industrial Standard (TIS) 876-2565 (2022) for particleboards, confirming their suitability for interior architectural applications, such as wall panels and ceiling materials. This research not only provides a sustainable solution to manage agricultural and plastic waste in southern Thailand but also contributes to the development of eco-friendly, high-performance materials for the construction industry, supporting circular economy principles and environmental conservation.

Recycling plastic waste holds considerable potential as a fuel source, especially when combined with agricultural waste. This study aims to evaluate the physical characteristics of charcoal briquettes - moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, calorific value, and fixed carbon content - produced from a mixture of plastic waste and organic waste. Three composition variations were tested: pure Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) plastic waste (100%) as the first treatment (S1), a combination of coconut shells and plastic waste in a 50%:50% ratio as the second treatment (S2), and a combination of corn cobs and plastic waste in the same 50%:50% ratio as the third treatment (S3). Testing was conducted according to SNI 01-6235-2000 standards. The results showed that all treatments produced charcoal briquettes with moisture content and calorific value that met SNI standards. Among the treatments, briquettes made entirely from plastic waste (S1) achieved the highest calorific value at 5921 cal/g, followed by the plastic-coconut shell mixture (S2) at 5574 cal/g and the plastic-corn cob mixture (S3) at 5100 cal/g. These findings indicate that plastic waste and agricultural waste have significant potential as fuel sources for power generation, supporting energy mix targets, and contributing to waste management and sustainable energy production. However, the study also identified areas for improvement. The ash content across all treatments failed to meet SNI standards, and the volatile matter content in S1 was below the acceptable range. These shortcomings highlight the need for further optimization in material formulation and manufacturing processes to enhance briquette quality. Future research should prioritize refining material combinations, improving ash content and volatile matter characteristics, and assessing the environmental impacts of using plastic-based briquettes. With continued innovation, this approach could play a pivotal role in achieving energy mix targets and addressing the challenges of plastic and agricultural waste, offering a sustainable and practical solution for energy generation.

PVA/LPRS composite was prepared in order to deep explore manufacturing technology and performance-controlling methods of rice straw based composite.The preparation course includes the following procedures: rice straw drying, rice straw cutting, mixing with PVA and hot-pressing.The effects of hot-pressing time and temperature on performances of composite were studied.Results showed that tensile strength first increased and then decreased with hot-pressing time.The tensile strength arrived at 3.67 MPa when hot-pressing time was 12 min, 51% higher than that hot-pressed for 8 min.Tensile elongation showed similar changing law as tensile strength.When hot-pressing time was 12 min, the tensile elongation was 22.5%.The hardness of composites was uneven and showed certain fluctuation.Hardness fluctuation range lay between 80 and 97.Tensile strength first increased and then decreased with the increase of hot-pressing temperature.When hot-pressing temperature was 150 ℃, the tensile strength arrived at 3.41 MPa, 85% higher than that of composite prepared at 130 ℃.

Utilization of corn cob, an essential agricultural residue difficult to disposal: Composite board manufactured improved thermal performance using microencapsulated PCM

Rice straw is an abundant waste from almost rice field in Asia. Plastic is also an abundant waste in many countries which damages the environment seriously, while the need for wood continues to increase. To overcome these environmental problems we have developed a particleboard from rice straw by using plastic waste polypropylene as a matrix with the rice straw compositions of 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 wt. %. Some physical properties (density and thickness swelling) and mechanical properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and compressive strength) of the particleboard have been measured. Our results showed that the density of rice straw polypropylene particleboard is found to be 0.56 g/cm3 to 0.8 g/cm3. Its thickness swelling after immersion in the water for 24 hours is less than 5%. Its modulus of rupture is found to be 83 to 134 kgf/cm2. The modulus of elasticity is 3.3x104 to 4.5x104 kgf/cm2 and the compressive strength is about 6.7 MPa. Our analysis revealed that the rice straw polypropylene particleboard with the rice straw compositions of 30, 40, 50, and 60 wt. % meets the Indonesian National Standard and Japanese Industrial Standard requirements for particleboard.

Development of useful composite materials out of agricultural waste has become a desirable option in recycling. This led to the production of composite boards being used in the construction industry. In this paper, three types of available agricultural wastes in the province of Batangas — peanut shells, corn husks and banana sheath — were independently utilized in the production of composite boards. The raw materials were either air or sun dried, then crushed (for peanut shells) and extracted (for banana sheath and corn husks) before mixing with the binder. Urea formaldehyde (UF) was used as binder for peanut shells and banana sheaths while cleaned used plastic bags were chopped and mixed with corn husks before subjecting to hot compress machine. For each mat, the followingproportions were used:1000 gm banana fibres, 500 gm of UF mixed with 250 gm of water; 720 gm of crushed peanut shells, 133 gm UF with 12% resin content; 40% corn husks, 60% plastic strips by weight. The physical and mechanical characteristics like modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bond, face screw head test (FSHT) or Nail Head Pull through (NHPT), water absorption and thicknessswelling were determined for each board and the results were compared to the values set by the Philippine National Standards (PNS). Based on statistical results, the corn husk-plastic composite boards conformed to all parameters in the PNS; the density, thickness swelling, IBS, and NHPT/ FSHT of peanut shell-resin composite boards conformed to the PNS; and the thickness swelling,density, MOR and NHPT/FSHT of the banana sheath-UF composite boards conformed to the PNS.

The effect of alkali treatment on the wettability of pine needles was assessed by contact angle measurements. The lower critical surface energy of the treated needle (42%) favors its superior wetting behavior over the control. The composite boards were prepared from these treated needle furnishes and isocyanate prepolymer resin adhesive (3–20%). The results indicate that internal bond strength, modulus of rupture, tensile strength, and screw withdrawal load increased with the increase of resin adhesive content. At lower humidity, the boards with varying resin adhesive contents exhibited 2–7% thickness swelling at equilibrium moisture content whereas at higher humidity, the thickness swelling in the boards ranged between 13–23%. Under immersed water, the composite boards swelled 2–3 times as much as the samples exposed at 98% RH. After aging, the internal bond strength of boards was reduced by 41–67% in accelerated water and 54–78% in cyclic exposure respectively. Fractographic evidences such as pulled out of needle fibers, fiber fracture and debonding, because of swelling of fibers in the aged samples could be used to explain the loss of strength. The screw withdrawal load of the high resin adhesive content boards (20%) was comparable with the natural wood. The developed composite board satisfies the requirements of Standard Specification: IS: 3087‐2005 / EN 312‐2003. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010

The fast food industry (FFI) has been rapidly developing over the past few decades due to economic development and an increase in the the go consumption culture. This industry consumes a considerable number of single-use items (SUIs), including single-use plastic items (SUPIs) and single-use paper items (SUPaIs), for the takeaway culture, which treats plastics as waste rather than a valuable resource. The frequent use of SUPIs leads to a significant amount of plastic waste ending up in the ocean. Within this context, Vietnam is one of the focus countries contributing considerably to plastic ocean (Akenji et al., 2019b). While regulations and policy interventions related to plastic packaging waste or SUPIs in the FFI have been limited, research into SUPIs in the FFI also has not been undertaken in Vietnam. This research aims to improve plastic waste management and the use and disposal of SUPIs in the FFI in Vietnam. First, the research reviewed intervention policies on the management of SUPIs in selected regions (the EU, Singapore, India, Indonesia) to recommend policy measures to manage plastic waste in the FFI in Vietnam. Second, this research determined the components and weight of SUPIs consumed and disposed of in the FFI in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. The results show that six fast food companies (Lotteria, KFC, Jollibee, Popeyes, Texas Chicken, and McDonald's) in HCMC generated approximately six tons of waste per day. Among them, SUPIs presented from 1.1 t/d to 2.2 t/d and SUPaIs were around 1.4 t/d to 1.6 t/d. Third, the research also surveyed 273 customers and 77 managers on their Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) about the use and the disposal of SUPIs in the FFI in HCMC, with the results showing that the knowledge of customers and managers about the impacts of the use of SUPIs on the environment is positive but still limited. The next step, the research examined key stakeholders' choices on the recommended policy measures for SUPIs in the FFI, which were implicated from the first, second, and third objectives of the thesis. This fourth objective of the thesis was carried out by interviewing 37 people in five stakeholder groups (customers, restaurant managers in FFI, plastic manufacturers, and policymakers). Finally, the research also calculated the impacts of the two recommended policy interventions, including ceasing the use of the identified unnecessary SUPIs in the six studied FFCs and standardising the weight of each type of SUPI in the FFI. Consequently, the study is optimistic that by adopting the policy recommendations, a substantial amount of plastic waste which is currently being generated by the FFI and released into the environment each year will be prevented.

Development and characterization of wood-polypropylene plastic-cement composite board