Developing an interior cladding fiberboard by utilizing sugarcane bagasse as a local agro-waste in Egypt

Abstract

The conception of materials with fewer carbon dioxide emissions, using natural fibers, and recycling resources, is of increasing relevance to the world today to combat climatic change and pollution. This is a significant step toward reducing the environmental effect of building materials and addressing a multitude of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in a direct or indirect way. This research investigates using sugarcane bagasse (SCB) as a local green base material in Egypt for creating composite fiberboard that can be used in a multitude of architectural applications as an interior cladding board and was found to have thermal insulation qualities, achieving a dual aim of aesthetically pleasing interiors, in addition to a step towards thermal comfort, thus, enhancing human well-being. At the same time, this will cut down on energy use and carbon emissions. Finally, creating a partially green cladding particleboard will decrease the environmental impact two-fold, utilizing abundant agro-waste and hence, eliminating its disposal hazards, and simultaneously decreasing the environmental impact of construction material in its life cycle. Relevant mechanical and physical properties of the developed board were experimentally tested to investigate and characterize its material, hence, validate its potential operability.