Development and Characterization of Sisal Fiber and Wood Dust-Reinforced Polymeric Composites

Mechanical properties of composite board made from waste paper, wood dust, and sisal fibers with various weight proportions were investigated in this work. The composite board was produced by hand lay-up technique with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder. The result shows that the bending strength ranged between 3.5 N/mm(2) and 7.5 N/mm(2); water absorption values between 6.65% and 10.5%; as well as density between 280 kg/mm(3) and 360 kg/mm(3). A better combination of results has been found for sisal fiber (35%), wood dust (30%), PVA (10%) and waste paper (25%). The obtained result is compared with those of the conventional ceiling board results and it is observed that these composite materials can be used for internal low-cost construction work for separation, and acoustic & thermal insulation purposes.

Automated summary

The study investigated the mechanical properties of composite boards made from waste paper, wood dust, and sisal fibers with various weight proportions. The results showed that a better combination of sisal fiber, wood dust, PVA, and waste paper can be used for internal low-cost construction work. These composite materials are suitable for separation, and acoustic & thermal insulation purposes.