Development of Biodegradable Board using Water Hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes)

The aim of this study was to utilized aquatic weed to become a bio-board with proper mechanical properties. Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is aquatic weed with rapid growing rate that usually clog the irrigation facility and cover the river surface cause negative impact to environment usually water environment. In this research water hyacinth was used to produced bio-boards through cutting, soaking, refining, molding, and drying process with applied of five different loading pressures (2MPa, 3.5MPa, 5MPa, 6.5MPa, 8MPa) in applied of 110 degree Celsius. In the producing process of bio-board hydrogen bond among the cellulose fiber were used instead of used chemical substance and additional additive. Bio-boards were successfully produced under experimental condition. Mechanical properties of each bio-board were investigated. Result of water hyacinth bio-board density was 1.1691 g/cm, average bending rupture stress 46.21 MPa and tensile rupture stress in average value was 6.64MPa. Bio-board with certain different strength range could be considered to be applied as packaging, seedling pot, mulching or insulating material in advance application