ANALISA KONDUKTIVITAS TERMAL SERAT BATANG JAGUNG SEBAGAI BAHAN ALTERNATIF ISOLATOR PADA ALAT PENUKAR KALOR

The utilization of agricultural waste as environmentally friendly engineering materials has attracted increasing attention due to the growing demand for sustainable thermal insulation. Corn stalk fiber is a promising lignocellulosic biomass with potential application as a thermal insulating material. This study investigates the effect of material density on the thermal conductivity of corn stalk fiber to evaluate its feasibility as an alternative insulation material for heat exchanger applications. Thermal conductivity was measured using the steady-state radial heat transfer method based on Fourier's law. A total of nine specimens were prepared, consisting of three density levels (100, 150, and 200 kg/m³), each tested at inlet temperatures of 40°C, 60°C, and 80°C. Thermal conductivity was determined from the heat transfer rate, specimen thickness, heat transfer area, and temperature difference across the insulation material. The results showed that thermal conductivity increased with increasing material density. The lowest thermal conductivity, 0.084 W/mK, was obtained at a density of 100 kg/m³ and an inlet temperature of 40°C, indicating the best thermal insulation performance. At densities of 150 and 200 kg/m³, thermal conductivity increases to ranges of 0.113–0.118 W/mK and 0.122–0.125 W/mK, respectively, due to the reduction of air voids within the fiber structure. The influence of testing temperature on thermal conductivity was relatively small compared with the effect of material density. These findings demonstrate that low-density corn stalk fiber offers promising thermal insulation characteristics and has potential for application as a sustainable insulation material to reduce heat loss and improve the thermal efficiency of heat exchanger systems.