Production of Bioboard from Vetiver Grass Waste Using Stingless Bee Resin as a Binder

Abstract

This research aimed to develop a bioboard from vetiver grass waste using stingless bee resin as a binder. The study selected vetiver grass waste from the extraction and preparation of vetiver quality to create bioboard. The production process consisted of 3 main steps: preparation, drying in a hot air oven at 60-80°C for 35 hours, mixing the bioboard from stingless bee resin, sawdust, and adhesive in a ratio of 1:2:1, and forming a bioboard with a size of 10×10 cm. The testing results showed that the bioboard from vetiver grass waste had a tensile strength of 25.20 MPa and a compressive strength of 34.27 MPa, higher than standard bioboard which had 21.79 MPa and 11.57 MPa respectively. Moreover, it had a higher density than average (1,000 kg/m³ compared to 1,289 kg/m³) and a lower thermal conductivity (0.21 compared to 0.27 W/m·K), indicating better insulation properties with a higher thermal resistance. In addition, it had better water absorption (25.47% compared to 20.23%). The results showed that bioboard from vetiver grass waste had physical properties suitable for construction applications. However, further research is required on strength and durability, as well as improvement and adjustment before actual use in construction.