Wood Substitute Material from Coconut Shell Waste and Green Adhesive

This research aimed to utilise coconut shell waste as a raw material to produce compressed coconut shell sheets by using environmentally friendly adhesive from epoxidized natural latex and gelatinized tapioca starch. The coconut shells were cut into 1-mm particles and mixed with the adhesive. The mixture was then compressed in a 30×30×0.5 cm mould using a hydraulic compression machine at 5 MPa and 170°C for 5 minutes to form a compressed coconut shell sheet. The different ratios of adhesive to coconut shell particles (30, 40, and 50 g) per 100 g of coconut shell and the different ratios of gelatinized tapioca starch and epoxidized natural rubber (ranging from 1:0, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, to 4:1 by weight) were examined. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to analyse the morphology and chemical composition of the coconut shell sheets, respectively. The physical and mechanical properties of the compressed coconut shell sheets were evaluated based on the Thai Industrial Standard (TIS) number 876-2547 for flat pressed particleboards. The results demonstrate successful production of compressed coconut shell sheets from coconut shell waste using the environmentally friendly adhesive. ENR played a role in networking between lignin and cellulose. While GTS improved the strength of the composite using hydrogen bonding. The optimal ratio of adhesive to coconut shell particles was 40 g of the green adhesive per 100 g of coconut shell. The optimal ratio of gelatinized tapioca starch to epoxidized natural rubber was 2:1 by weight. The coconut shell sheets produced from this study were uniform in shape, had unique textures, and met industry standards for wood substitute materials.