Comparative Analysis of the Mechanical Properties of Fiberboard Reinforced with Banana Pseudostem (BPS) Fibers and Conventional Medium-Density Fiberboards

This paper investigates the possibility of adopting banana pseudostem (BPS) fibers as a sustainable medium-density fiberboard (MDF) reinforcement for the Philippine construction industry. The purposes were to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of BPS fiber-reinforced MDF, BPSF MDF, to conventional MDF, or CMDF, in terms of internal bond (IB), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and modulus of rupture (MOR). To achieve this, quasi experimental research design was used for testing the five fiber ratios. Results indicated that the optimal mixture of 50% BPSF and 50% wood fibers proved to possess better mechanical properties than the other mixtures and conventional MDF. Although the production cost of the Mixture 3: 50/50 mixture was a bit higher, enhanced durability and flexural strength values suggest its feasibility for applications in construction projects. The research thus recommends using the Mixture 3: 50/50 BPSF-WF mixture for producing MDF in the future due to environmental sustainability combined with better mechanical performance. Further research is also suggested to be conducted on long-term performance in order to be perfected in the method of production, which will enable the high utilization of this sustainable material.