Physical, Mechanical, and Acoustic Properties of Particleboard from Durian Peel and Sengon Sawdust

Abstract

The utilization of agricultural and wood-processing waste as raw materials for particleboard production represents a sustainable strategy to reduce environmental burdens and enhance resource efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the physical, mechanical, and acoustic performance of particleboard manufactured from durian peel waste and sengon (Falcataria moluccana) wood sawdust. The boards were fabricated with dimensions of 30 × 30 × 1 cm using 15% urea-formaldehyde adhesive, with varying composition ratios of durian peel to sengon particles (0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0). The panels were manually formed and hot-pressed at 140 °C for 10 minutes under a pressure of 25 kg/cm². The evaluated properties included physical characteristics (density, moisture content, water absorption, and thickness swelling), mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR)), and acoustic performance (sound absorption and reflection coefficients). The results indicated that the particleboard density ranged from 0.38 to 0.40 g/cm³, moisture content from 7.46% to 8.48%, water absorption from 160.06% to 187.24%, and thickness swelling from 17.73% to 20.36%. The MOE and MOR values varied between 114.87–317.33 MPa and 1.43–2.85 MPa, respectively. Increasing the proportion of sengon particles improved dimensional stability and mechanical strength; however, the resulting values did not meet the requirements of the JIS A 5908 (2003) standard. In contrast, higher durian peel content enhanced acoustic performance, with the highest sound absorption coefficient observed in the 100:0 composition. The measured normal-incidence sound absorption coefficients indicate promising acoustic performance, particularly for boards containing high proportions of durian peel at medium-to-high frequencies.