Utilization of Composite Board from Button Top Shells and Guest Tree Fiber

Abstract: The growing need for affordable, sustainable and environmentally friendly materials in construction and furniture has encouraged researcher to explore alternatives to traditional wood-based panels. The study aimed to determine the mechanical properties of the composite board in terms of flexural strength, compressive strength, and density; assess its acceptability based on appearance, texture, and firmness; evaluate its applicability for furniture and wall cladding; and test for significant differences among three treatment formulations. An experimental-developmental research design was employed, utilizing a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three treatment combinations varying in the proportion of button top shells and guest tree fiber while maintaining epoxy resin as a constant binder. Findings revealed that Treatment C (230g button top shells 20g guest tree fiber) generally exhibited the highest mechanical performance in terms of flexural and compressive strength, while Treatment B (220g button top shells 30g guest tree fiber) showed the most stable density results. In sensory evaluation, all treatments were rated acceptable, with Treatment A (210g button top shells 40g guest tree fiber) obtaining higher scores in appearance and Treatment C (230g button top shells 20g guest tree fiber) rated highest in firmness. In terms of applicability, all treatments were considered suitable for furniture and wall cladding applications. However, only appearance showed a significant difference among treatments, while texture, firmness, acceptability, and applicability showed no significant differences.

Keywords: Composite Board, Button Top Shells, Guest Tree Fiber, Natural Fiber Composite, Shell-Based Composite