DEVELOPMENT OF ECO-FRIENDLY EPOXY COMPOSITES FROM COCONUT FIBER AND PINE CONE WASTE FOR LIGHTWEIGHT FASCIA BOARD APPLICATIONS

The limitations of conventional fascia board materials such as wood and GRC—which are prone to decay and high in production cost—have driven the search for alternative, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and durable materials. This study investigates the potential use of waste pine cone petals and coconut coir fibers, widely available in Selorejo Village, Sragen, as natural fillers for developing composite materials applicable to architectural fascia boards. The main objective is to evaluate the influence of different mixing ratios of coconut coir fibers and pine cone petal powder on the mechanical properties of the composite, including tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact toughness. The research employed a destructive experimental method using epoxy resin as the matrix and five filler compositions (from 30:70 to 70:30), with a filler volume fraction of 40% and matrix 60%. The results indicated that the composite with a 70:30 composition exhibited the best mechanical performance, with tensile strength of 28.49 MPa, bending strength of 37.04 MPa, and impact toughness of 26.85 kJ/m². These findings confirm the promising potential of such natural filler combinations for developing alternative composite materials suitable for non-load-bearing structural applications such as fascia boards.