
The coconut palm provides many different products: the pulp is eaten, coconut water is a refreshing drink, and coconut oil is used in cooking and for skin care. Products can also be made from the woody fibres, but these often end up as waste. In this project we try to make chipboard from these fibres.
Resins from fossil sources are currently used in the production of chipboard that are harmful to people and the environment. These resins are needed to make the fibers stick together and form a strong product. In order to minimize the environmental impact of the chipboard we make, we investigated various biobased resins as an alternative.
Extensive research has been done into the best conditions for the production of coconut fiber chipboard based on bending strength. In further research, the best boards were further examined for water resistance and cohesion, among other things. Coirwood wants to use the results to market a sustainable chipboard.