AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightThe results obtained show that the introduction of guinea grass, wood sawdust, crack filler, and wood adhesive improved the mechanical properties of the lightweight composite slabs developed from plywood.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
This research focused on the use of Guinea grass (GG), wood sawdust (SD), crack filler (CF), and wood adhesive (WA) to enhance the mechanical properties of plywood. The plywood with dimensions of 450 mm x 450 mm x 135 mm was used to produce lightweight composite slab laminates of the following dimensions: 450mm x 450mm x 145mm, 450mm x 450mm x 170mm, 450mm x 450mm x 195mm, 450mm x 450mm x 220mm, and 450mm x 450 x 245mm, respectively. To ensure tenacious bonding and lamination between the composite slab and the plywood, a wood adhesive or glue was applied evenly on the top and bottom faces of the laminates at 2.5mm thickness. Ten (10) lightweight composite slabs each were produced with mix ratios of 0.5:0.5:1.5:0.5 and 0.5:0.75:1.5:0.5 (WA: CF: SD: GG), respectively. The results obtained show that the mean compressive strength, tensile strength, density, hardness, flexural strength, and deflection of the developed laminate composite range from 74.6 N/m2 to 76.5 N/m2, 89.50 N/m2 to 93.53 N/m2, 1246.92 kg/m3 to 1334.81 kg/m3, 59.5kgf to 63.5kgf, and 7.06 N/m2 to 7.52 N/m2, 29.0 mm to 86.52 mm while that of plywood only ranges from 35 N/m2 to 65 N/m2, 45 N/m2 to 79 N/m2, 500 kg/m3 to 811 kg/m3, 32kgf to 56kgf, 2.5 N/m2 to 6.5 N/m2, and 20.7 mm to 45.6 mm for average compressive strength, tensile strength density, flexural strength, and de-flection respectively. The results obtained show that the introduction of guinea grass, wood sawdust, crack filler, and wood adhesive improved the mechanical properties of the lightweight composite slabs developed from plywood.