Binderless Fiberboards Made from Unripe Coconut Husks

With the growing consumption of coconut water, high amounts of wastes that are hard to manage are produced. Such biomass should be recycled for reducing the accumulation of trash, adding value to the supply chain and generating profits, and increasing the useful lifetime of landfills. White coir contains high amounts of lignin, which can act as a natural binder under suitable conditions of pressure and temperature. Synthetic resins derived from petroleum are commonly used as fiberboard binders; however, they are potentially cancer promoters. Furniture, wallboard, floors, and coatings can be produced using coir-based fiberboards without needing to cut down trees. This study investigated the potential of coconut husks as a raw material for binderless fiberboards. The fiberboards were characterized by thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The swelling, water uptake, and the mechanical properties of the fiberboards were also examined. The use of high temperatures results in the production of fiberboards exhibiting an enhanced water resistance, in accordance with the standard procedure ABNT NBR 15316-2:2015 for High-density fiberboards (HDF). HDF were successfully fabricated in the absence of additional binders. The pressing temperature plays an important role in determining the material characteristics.