Comparison of Wood Polymer Composites from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches, Teak, and Rice Husk Fibers as Sustainable Construction Materials
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The market for Wood Polymer Composites (WPC), which blend polymer materials with natural fibers, is expanding annually, especially in the Asia Pacific region, with significant revenue generated from the construction sector. Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), a waste product from oil palm plantations in Indonesia, can be used as reinforcing materials in WPC. Utilizing OPEFB in WPC helps mitigate environmental waste. Recycled polyethylene (rPE) is used as the matrix in WPC to reduce the reliance on virgin PE. Transforming OPEFB waste into high-value WPC panels can create economically valuable products. Studies indicate that WPCs made from OPEFB fibers exhibit the highest tensile strength at approximately 37.45 MPa, surpassing those made from teak and rice husk fibers. The hardness of OPEFB-based WPCs is 58.8, comparable to the hardness of WPCs from teak (61.8) and rice husk (66.8) fibers.