Development of water hyacinth reinforced jackfruit-seed-starch bi-layerd composites for sustainable thermal insulation
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Abstract
This study investigates the development of biodegradable composite materials using water hyacinth pulp and jackfruit-seed-starch as a binder, aimed at providing an eco-friendly solution for thermal insulation applications. The composites were fabricated using a compression molding process with varying starch contents (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) under controlled temperature and pressure. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, hardness, and thermal conductivity were evaluated. The results indicated that composites with 30% jackfruit seed starch exhibited the best mechanical performance, including tensile and flexural strength, along with favorable thermal conductivity. However, water absorption remained a challenge, with higher starch content leading to increased moisture uptake. The findings highlight the potential of these composites for thermal insulation, particularly in extremely cold countries, where they could serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional materials. Further studies are needed to reduce water absorption and enhance the durability of the composites for long-term use.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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