Professional Documents
Culture Documents
An Investigatory Project
Presented by:
Jerelyn Y. Co
This study proved that soy flour with coir can be used as plywood filler. Two set-ups
were conducted to test the quality of the experimental products. The first set-up was composed of
50g soy flour and 5g coir which were mixed together in a 150mL water. The second set-up was
composed of 50g soy flour and 150mL of water only. The mixtures were applied in 3x3 inches
ply woods and were dried under the sun for 24 hours. The fibers from the coconut husks were
obtained and undergone retting for 5 days. Both set-ups were tested by water absorption, and
shear strength test. Water absorption test was measured through recording the weight before and
after soaking the products in 1Lwater for 30 minutes. Shear strength test was performed by using
two chairs and the data of two set-ups were recorded using parameters. With an average rating of
4.1, set up 1 was comparable to the set up 2 with an average of 2.3 in Shear Strength. Water
absorption test showed that the first setup having the rate of 9.2 against the 10.8 of the second set
up. The results showed that the product from soy flour and coir is better than the soy flour only
in terms of water resistance and shear strength.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The researchers are grateful to the following persons:
First, to Almighty God, the source of all knowledge and wisdom, without Him this
To Mr. Ian Fajardosa, the researchers’ project adviser, for his never ending guidance and
To Mr. Amparo, for the encouragement and knowledge in completion of this research;
To Prof. Milagros for her useful articles related to the researchers’ Investigatory
project;
To Danica Pauline Nuestro, for her suggestions that helped the researchers conduct
To Mrs. Aurora Japon, the librarian, who lent books as a reference for their study;
You are the researchers’ inspiration and worthy to accept their sincerest thanks.
-J.Y.C-
iii
Table of Contents
Page
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….ii
Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………...…….iii
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………..iv
Definition of Terms……………………………………………………………………..4
General Procedure……………………………………………………………………...13
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..20
Recommendation………………………………………………………………………20
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………...21
APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………………….....23
CHAPTER 1
wood veneers. These sheets are glued using urea formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde which
have become the point of concern of health problems because of its carcinogenic component in
known to be the cause of health problems. Human exposure to formaldehyde gas emitted from
urea and phenol-formaldehyde resins used as adhesives in engineered woods had been suspected
to cause human health effects ranging from eye irritation to cancer. According to the National
has steadily risen over the last 75 years. In 1998, 11.3 billion pounds of formaldehyde were
produced in the United States. Noting that the formaldehyde used in wood make up half of all
formaldehyde made.
In 2001, the worldwide wood adhesive consumption was 13.3 million tons.
Formaldehyde based adhesive accounted for 99% of the total volume which indicated the
Concerning with this problem, the desire to make bio-based and lower cost wood
adhesive has led to an interest in replacing some phenol and formaldehyde in wood adhesive
“Shear strength and water resistance of modified soy protein adhesives” and discovered that
Several studies on soybean-based plywood adhesives have reported that these glues
animal blood as extender in foamed glue. Additional information is that soy flour based glues are
cost competitive and possess mixing, foaming and adhesive properties that match those of the
Thus, the researcher tried to create product out of soy flour together with coir as Li
General Objectives
The aim of this study is to produce alternative plywood filler by the addition of coir in
Specific Objectives
This study specifically aimed to know:
2. if there is a significant difference between the soy flour with coir and soy flour
product only.
This study sought to determine the potential of soy flour with the coir addition as binder.
1.1 Which of the two set-ups produces the better alternative to plywood filler?
2. Is there a significant difference between the soy flour only and soy flour with coir product?
Null Hypothesis
2. There is no significant difference between the experimental product and soy flour in terms of:
3. Set-up two which is the coir less product is better than soy flour with coir.
The result of this study will be of great help for the society and industry not only because
it is an environmental friendly but also safe to breathe product because it is formaldehyde free.
Furthermore, this study would be very beneficial to people because the construction materials are
This study is limited on the production of alternative plywood filler with the use of soy
flour and coir. It is further focused unto the comparability of it with the soy flour only. The
product’s efficiency was then tested and recorded through the evaluation of Shear Strength and
Water Absorption. The experiments were conducted in the Science Laboratory of Learning
Resource Center, Pag-asa, Bansud, Oriental Mindoro. The time span of the experiments ranges
Definition of Terms
Coir-material extracted from the fibrous husk of coconut drupe (Cocos nucifera Linne) (Bato
balani, 1993-1994)
Plywood- thin laminar pieces of wood glued together. (Grolier Encyclopedia, 1995)
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a colorless pungent gas used in solutions applied as disinfectant and
de Jesus (2007) included in his work entitled “Building ecology and indoor air quality”
that in the Philippines, average person breathes about 20 cubic meters of air which is more than
the two to three kilograms of food and water that he takes each day. If it is polluted, lungs will
absorb these harmful elements, passing them onto the blood and carrying them throughout the
It was further stated in his work that one of the chemical pollutant easily found is
formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a colorless gas has been used in hundreds of products such as
plastics, clothing, resins, glues, vaccines and even for tissue and organ preservation. It is an
Formaldehyde is one of the most common indoor air pollutants, especially in hot humid
Formaldehyde is very powerful. When one inhales the fumes, the breathing passages
are blocked. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer in the United
States, formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen. It is a known fact that it can worsen
respiratory health.
The nose, eyes and lungs can easily be irritated if more than 0.1 parts per million of
Plywood
Wood is one of the most valuable raw materials supplied by nature and as the civilization
advances, the use of wood with the help of modern science turned into hundred of valuable
materials. There are different types of woods; the most common known is the engineered wood
which the plywood is under it. Plywood is made of two or more veneers glued together with its
grain at right angles for greater strength. It is strong, light weight, and adaptable for many uses.
There are usually an odd number of plies, as the symmetry makes the board less prone to
warping. Natural adhesives in the wood keep the fibers firmly together. A resin adhesive is
material. Quality in this context means resistance to cracking, breaking, and shrinkage, twisting
Exterior glued plywood is suitable for outdoor use, but because moisture affects on the
strength of wood, optimal performance is achieved in end uses where woods moisture content
remains relatively low. On the other hand subzero conditions don't affect on plywood's
addition, plywood can be manufactured in sheets far wider than the trees from which it was
made.
Coir
Coir is the fibers obtained from the husk of a coconut. The individual fiber cells are
narrow and hallow, with thick walls made of cellulose. They are pale when immature but later
become hardened and yellowed as large amount of lignin is deposited on their walls. There are
two varieties of coir. Brown coir is harvested from fully ripened coconuts. It is thick, strong and
has high abrasion resistance. Mature brown coir fibers contain more lignin and less cellulose
than fibers such as flax and cotton and so stronger but less flexible. It is used in floor mats and
doormats, brushes, mattresses, floor tiles and sacking and the small amount is also made into
twine. White coir fibers are harvested from coconuts before they are ripe. These fibers are white
or light brown in color and are smoother and finer, but also weaker.
At present, commercial synthetic fibers used to reinforce polyester matrix for plastic
production are relatively expensive. It consists of chemicals that are not readily available in the
market, more so, to small local industries. Ascano find a possible substitute for these fibers by
Sen (2010) studied the ability of Coir-fiber-based fire retardant nano filler for epoxy resin
in his paper entitled “Coir-fiber-based fire retardant nano filler for epoxy composites”. He found
out the strong interfacial adhesion takes place between the filler and the matrix and the study also
cocluded that coir-fibre-based fire retardant filler is effective for epoxy resins.
Soybean is a plant native to Asia, grown internationally for food, forage, green manure
and oil, its seeds is an important source of protein. (World Encyclopedia, 2006)
It is an erect, hairy plant with white or purple flowers and short pods with one to four
seeds which contains about 20% oil and 40% protein (Gunther, 1997 as mentioned in the study
of Garbin, 2008)
Soybean is between 40-50% protein compared to meat containing for about 20% protein.
It yields more protein per acre than other crops. These contains four times protein than wheat and
eggs, five to six time as that of bread, twice that of most nuts and twelve times than milk
Only a small percent of our soybeans are produced locally, while the rest are imported.
Despite its high domestic consumption, local supply is not enough to meet our needs. Soybeans
are made into several processed products like soy sauce (toyo), taho, textured vegetable protein
(TVP), tawsi and soybean curd or tokwa (Esguerra, 1994, as cited in the study of Romey, 2010).
Soybeans are now known for their variety of uses from particleboards, laminated
friendly solvents, industrial lubricants, cleaners, paints, non-toxic crayons, candles, ink
Soy flour refers to defatted soybeans where special care was taken during desolventizing
(not toasted) in order to minimize denaturation of the protein to retain a high Nitrogen Solubility
Index (NSI), for uses such as extruder texturizing (TVP). It is the starting material for production
Sailaja (2007) investigated a new bio-based composite which was developed by adding
soy flour (SF) to polypropylene (PP) in his study entitled “Effect of compatibilization on
mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene composite”, his product showed an
Tests
Several Tests can be done to determine whether the experimental product can be used as
substitute to the soy flour one. These include shear strength test and water absorption test.
Water Absorption
Water absorption is used to determine the amount of water absorbed under specified
conditions. The data sheds light on the performance of the materials in water or humid
environments.
After the products were both sun dried for 24 hours, they are subjected to water
absorption test.
Percent Water Absorption = [(Wet weight - Dry weight)/ Dry weight] x 100.
Shear Strength
Shear Strength is determined by rating both set-ups with the use of a parameter as 500 g
weight is added to the set-ups as testing material on which set-ups shows a better adhesive
Soy Flour
Evangelista (2001) studied the foaming of soy adhesives and as a part of her evaluation,
Hojilla-Evangelista and ARS technician Rick Haig checked each experimental formulation for
soy adhesives foaming ability, refoaming ability, foam strand quality, and adhesive properties.
The study concluded that soy flour-based glues are cost competitive and possess mixing,
foaming and adhesive properties that match those of the plywood industry’s current blood-based
glue which is the supported the researcher’s idea for this study.
Kumar (2003) studied the adhesive strength of protein adhesive and discovered that it
depends on the polar and non polar interaction between the adhesive and wood to be used. He
further concluded that concentration of soy protein, pH and type of wood greatly affects the
strength of it. The study further stated in its results that increase in press time produced increased
in shear strength.
One of the tests is the water absorption test which is supported by Mungara (2004) when
he performed a research which is all about the utilization of Soy protein to produce plastics that
exhibits low water absorption and had good stability under ambient conditions.
Coir
There is a wide scope of commercial utilization of coir and coir dust, to make products
like mat and matting, tawashi brush, twine and rope, fertilizer, rubberized coir, carpet underlay
11
It is also discovered that coir can be used as fiberboard which is classified as semi-
Khayat ( as cited in Romey, 2010) published his work all about the use of fiber in
improvement of cement strength and evaluated the compressive strength and flexural toughness
of their product containing fibers in the cement. This influenced the researcher to use coir as
Banzon and Velasco (as cited in Tejano, 1985) studied coir dust which is rich in lignins
and tannins. They found out that under high pressure and temperature, these compounds soften
As Li (2005) discovered the ability of soy protein as effective plywood adhesive. This
study turned to be the basis of the researcher to work with coir together with soy flour to produce
an alternative to plywood filler. Since the soy flour with coir is being hailed by many as a
nontoxic, cheap in terms of price, and are safer to a long-standing environmental health issue and
coir which has its ability as a good binder in different materials as the studies cited suggest.
12
CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
The following are the materials used in making the plywood filler: 100 g soy flour (50 g
for both set-ups), 5 g coir, 3x3 ply woods, 300 mL water, stirrer, triple beam balance, containers,
100 g soy beans as well as dry and 5 g coir were collected and prepared for different
processes. The soy beans were grounded into powder form while coir or coconut fibers were
To test the experimental product’s quality, two set-ups were conducted. The first set-up is
the researchers’ product which includes both soy flour and coir while the second set-up includes
the 50 g pure soy flour only. All quantities and processes in the first set-up are the same with the
second set-up except that the second set-up is prohibited with the usage of coir.
Set-up 1
The gathered soy beans were grounded into powder. The 50g soy flour was heated into a
13
Retting
The fibrous husks of coconuts were soaked for 5 days in 2L water. After retting it the
Mixing
After the processes treated to the 5g coir and 50g soy flour, the materials were mixed
together by stirring.
Drying
The mixture was applied to 3x3 inches plywoods and was dried under the sun for 24
hours.
Set-up 2
The gathered soy beans were grounded into powder. The 50 g soy flour was heated into a
150ml water maintaining its low temperature. It was applied in 3x3 ply woods and then dried
Testing
The experimental product had undergone two tests; water absorption and shear strength
test which will be compared with the product in which includes only the soy flour.
14
Water Absorption
For the water absorption test, the products were weighted using triple beam balance and
were soaked in 1000mL of water for 30 minutes. It was then again weighed to determine its
For the shear strength test, both set-ups were subjected into a 1kg weight test. Using two
chairs, a 1kg weight was placed in between the ply woods. The results were recorded using the
following parameters:
3 – slightly opened
4 – left a mark
5- nothing happened
For every test, the results of the set-up 1 and set-up 2 were recorded and compared.
15
CHAPTER III
Table 1
(see appendix). Set-up 1 has an average rating of 4.1. Set-up 2 has an average rating of 2.3.
Since the p-value of .0002, which falls in the rejection area at a 5% level of significance,
the hypothesis of no significant difference is rejected. Based on the data in Table 1, Set-up 1 is
The result was supported by the study of Café stating that coconut coir has been reported
to contain lignin and tannin in much greater amount than wood which is used as binder. Thus,
the use of coir improves the properties of material to be more compact and sturdy.
16
Table 2
average weight of 42g. Set-up 2 has an average weight of 42.4g. After 30 minutes of soaking in
the water, the set-ups were again weighed to measure how much water was absorbed by the
products.
17
Table 3
Table 3 shows the weight of the set-ups after soaking in the water. Set-up 1 has an
Table 4
The water absorption percentage of set up 1 is 21.6% and set up 2 with 25.5%.
Table 4 shows the change in weight of the set-ups after soaking in the water. Set up 1 has
an average change in weight of 9.2g. Set up 2 has an average change in weight of 10.8g.
Since the p-value of .0424 falls in the rejection area at a 5% level of significance, the
hypothesis of no significant difference is rejected. Based on the data in Table 4, Set-up 1 is better
19
Chapter IV
Conclusion
Based on the results on the study, it can be concluded that soy flour with coir is suitable
and potential raw materials in making good plywood filler. For the shear strength test, there is a
significant difference between the two set-ups. It shows that set-up 1, which is the soy flour with
coir is better than set-up 2 which is the soy flour only. For the water absorption test, set-up 1 also
has significant difference comparing with the weight gained by the set up 2. Generally, set-up 1
is better than set-up 2 in terms of Shear Strength Test and Water Absorption Test.
Recommendation
The data and results obtained led the researchers to recommend using the construction
material from Soy flour and coir as alternative plywood filler. It is highly recommended that the
amount of coir is to be increased to make the product more compact and sturdier.
Alkali-modification of the product is also advised to improve its adhesive and
hydrophobic properties (Hettiarachchy, 1995). Use other cheaper chemicals not only to improve
20
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Esguerra, E. (1995). Dry Soybean Curd (Tokwa). Bato Balani for Science and Technology
(1994-1995). Sophomore, Volume 14 (No.5), Pp.15.
Romey, M. K. J. (2010) Utilization of Used Paper with Banana Stem Waste, Coir and Sawdust
as Particle Board, unpublished science investigatory project from MIMAROPA Regional
Science High School.
Garbin, J. L. (2008) Ply Board Sandwich; Ply board made up of rice hulls and Sawdust,
unpublished science investigatory project from MIMAROPA Regional Science High
School.
Malaluan, M. R. (2007) Hulls from Oryza Sativa(rice) and Sawdust as an alternative to Oriented
Strand Board, unpublished science investigatory project from MIMAROPA Regional
Science High School.
Plastics Technology Laboratories, Inc. (1997). Water absorption Test. Retrieved Sept. 3, 2007
from http:/www.ptli.com/testlopedia/tests/water_absorption-D570.asp
Café, A. (2008). Coconut Coir Dust can be made into Particle Board. Retrieved Dec. 27, 2010
from http://affleap.com/coconut-coir-dust-can-be-made-into-particle-board/
Li, K. & Huang, J. (2007). The potential of soy flour as an adhesive. Retrieved from
http://www.springerlink.com/content/47454483q1765644/?
p=08a428c79d8447f095e02322566bbb70&pi=66
Sen, A. & Kumar, S. (3 December 2009). Coir-fibre-based fire retardant nano filler for epoxy
composites. J Therm Anal Calorim, Volume 101, Number 1, 265-271, DOI:
10..1007/s10973-009-0637-8.
Kumar, R., Choudhary, V., Mishra, S., Varma, I.K. (27 November 2003). Enzymatically-
modified soy protein part 2: adhesion behavior. J. Adhesion Science Technology,
Volume 18, Number 2, 261-273.
Lorenz, L., Frihart, C., Wescott, J. (23 March 2006). Chromatographic Analysis of the Reaction
of Soy Flour with Formaldehyde and Phenol for Wood Adhesives. J Amer Oil Chem Soc
(2007), Volume 84, 769-776; DOI: 10.1007/s 11746-007-1097-6.
Weimer, P. J., Conner, A.H., Lorenz, L. F. (30 January 2003). Solid Residues from
Ruminococcus Cellulose fermentations as components of wood adhesive formulations.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol., Volume 63, pp. 29-34; DOI: 10.1007/s 00253-003-1334.
Kumar, R., Choudhary, V., Mishra, S., Varma, I. K., Mattiason, B. (9 January 2002). Adhesives
and plastics based on soy protein products. Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 16,
pp. 155-172.
World Encyclopedia (2006). Soya Bean. (Pp. 698). India: Philip’s London.
The New Book of Knowledge (2003). Coconuts. (Vol. 3, Pp. 392). United States of America:
Grolier Publishing Company.
Webster’s Universal Dictionary and Thesaurus (2002). Formaldehyde. (Pp. 209). Scotland:
Infinity Books International Trading.
Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge (1995). Plywood. (Pp. 408). United States of America:
Grolier Incorporated.
de. Jesus, A. (2007). Building ecology and indoor air quality. Retrieved from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/2007033158019/Building_ecol
ogy_and_indoor_air_quality
Sun, X., & Bian, K. (August 2008). Shear Strength and Water Resistance of Modified Soy
Protein Adhesives. Journal of the American Oil Chemist’s Society (JAOCS), Vol. 76,
No. 8, 997-980; DOI: 10.1007/s11746-999-0115-2
Hettiarachchy, N.S., Kalapathy, U. & Myers, D. J. (1995). Alkali-modified soy protein with
improved adhesive and hydrophobic properties. Journal of the American Oil Chemist’s
Society (JAOCS), Vol. 72, No. 12, 1461-1464; DOI: 10.1007/BF02577838
APPENDIX
A. FORMS
B. COMMUNICATION LETTER
Good Day!
In this regard, may I ask for a free copy of your research paper? I am very
much interested on your study that I would like to incorporate your results in my
current work. Rest assured that I will properly cite and acknowledge you in my write-
up.
Hoping that this request merit your favorable consideration. Thank you and
more power!
Sincerely yours,
Jerelyn Y. Co
(jerelyn_co2008@yahoo.com)
Team Leader
5 Nothing happened
4 Left a mark
3 Slightly opened
2 One ply wood is separated
1 Both ply woods are separated
E. CHARTS OF DATA
Trial
Fig. 4. Change in weight of two set-ups (g)
Mea
n n Std. Dev
Group
4.1 10 1.10 1
Group
2.3 10 0.48 2
3.2 20 1.24 Total
ANOVA
table
p-
Source SS df MS F value
Treatment 16.20 1 16.200 22.43 .0002
Error 13.00 18 0.722
Total 29.20 19
Mea
n n Std. Dev
Group
9.1 10 1.66 1
Group
10.8 10 1.81 2
10.0 20 1.90 Total
ANOVA table
p-
Source SS df MS F value
Treatment 14.45 1 14.450 4.77 .0424
Error 54.50 18 3.028
Total 68.95 19
Jerelyn:
Sorry, I do not know the value that makes a material water resistant. It all depends on the application and requirements of the
material. One material may have the value at 0.01% while another material may have the value of 1.00%. It all depends on the
application and material.
Regards.
Rick Kondel
Laboratory Manager
Intertek Plastics Technology Labs
www.ptli.com
Intertek Analytical Services
50 Pearl Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone : 413-499-0983
Fax : 413-499-2339
From: jerelyn co [mailto: jerelyn_co2008@yahoo.com ]
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 10:24 PM
To: Richard Kondel Intertek
Subject: Re: Water Absorption
Sir, I have done the water absoprtion test by myself and obtained the weight change percentage. What percentage is the product
said to be water resistant?
Sorry because I'm just a High School student and can't comprehend scientific methods because of lack of resources.
Sincerely yours,
Jerelyn Y. Co
( jerelyn_co2008@yahoo.com )
Jerelyn:
Water absorption can be measured easily down to 0.01%. What value is significant is dependent on the application. There are no
set significant values for water absorption.
Regards.
Rick Kondel
Laboratory Manager
Intertek Plastics Technology Labs
www.ptli.com
Intertek Analytical Services
50 Pearl Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone : 413-499-0983
Fax : 413-499-2339
-----Original Message-----
From: "jerelyn co" < jerelyn_co2008@yahoo.com >
Sent: 12/27/2010 8:45 AM
To: "*AS AMER USA Pittsfield PTLI Web Inquiries" <iptl@intertek.com>
Subject: Water Absorption
Good Day!
I just want to ask on what weight change percentage is the water absorption test significant?
Hoping your deepest consideration in answering this letter for my Investigatory Project.
Jerelyn Y. Co
( jerelyn_co2008@yahoo.com )
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