An Experimental Analysis on the Effectiveness of Using Green Mussel (Perna viridis) Shells, Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Pith, and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Fibres as Alternative Raw Materials in Producing Particleboards as Interior Wall Part

This study investigates the effectiveness of utilizing green mussel shells, coconut pith, and water hyacinthfibers as alternative raw materials for particleboard production intended for interior wall partition. Theresearchers made three proportions of particleboard to determine the suitable mixture from the differentratios among the raw materials. The produced six particleboards have dimensions of 40 cm by 40 cm by1.2 cm, two for each proportion used in testing. Mechanical properties, including water absorption,thickness swelling, face screw withdrawal, modulus of rupture, and thermal analysis using DifferentialScanning Calorimetry (DSC) were conducted to evaluate the performance of the produced particleboards.The particleboard performed satisfactorily in terms of its thickness swelling, passing the standardrequirement of the Philippine National Standard. However, the other tests conducted need furtherimprovement since various factors affected the results. Meanwhile, the produced particleboard providedmore excellent value against some insulation materials except for glass wool insulation. The researchersconcluded that the sample of 30% green mussel shells, 60% coconut pith, and 10% water hyacinth fibers,Proportion 3, is the best proportion to consider according to the overall data statistics. One notable aspectof this study is its cost analysis, where, based on the computations of the materials used with theirparticleboard compared to commercial particleboard, utilizing these alternative raw materials was moreeconomical than the traditional materials used. Even with the areas in which improvement was needed, thesignificance of this study lies in the investigation of using alternative raw materials to produceparticleboard.