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The construction industry faces an urgent need for sustainable building materials that mitigate environmental concerns while maintaining durability and thermal capabilities. Water hyacinth is an invasive aquatic plant that poses significant ecological and economic challenges due to its rapid proliferation in Southeast Asia. Due to its fibrous nature, the plant is a subject of research for its potential as a reinforcement in fiberboards when joined with gypsum powder and epoxy resin binders. This study focuses on the development of fiber boards reinforced with Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional gypsum boards. Petioles of water hyacinth were picked, washed, sun-dried and processed for fiber and particle collection to create the boards. The fiber boards were produced by using three different treatment ratios of water hyacinth fibers to its binder; 50:50, 60:40, and 70:30 for both gypsum powder binder (GPB) and epoxy resin binders (ERB). Physical, mechanical, and thermal tests including water absorption, thickness swelling, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, and thermal conductivity were carried out to measure the performance of the fiber boards in comparison to the commercially available gypsum boards control group. The tests indicate that the fiber boards reinforced with water hyacinth fibers and epoxy resin, especially at the 50:50 and 60:40 ratios, showed higher endurance to water, higher load capacity, improved stiffness, and better thermal resistance than the control group. Flexural strength tests revealed that both experimental fiberboard types surpassed the control group, with epoxy resin fiberboards, particularly at 50:50 and 60:40 ratios, exhibiting significantly higher strength. Similarly, the modulus of elasticity indicated that all treatment groups showed greater stiffness than the control, with epoxy resin fiberboards again demonstrating superior performance. Thermal resistivity tests revealed that all experimental fiberboards provided better thermal insulation than the control, with epoxy resin fiberboards consistently outperforming gypsum-based boards. The study concludes that Water Hyacinth Fiber boards that utilizes Epoxy Resin Binder, especially at 50:50 and 60:40 ratios, offer the most promising combination of properties for use as a sustainable building material.
Keywords: water hyacinth, gypsum board, gypsum powder, epoxy resin, fiber board |