Physical properties of medium density fiberboard from pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) with cassava peel starch and citric acid

Pineapple (Ananas Cosmosus) is one of the plants that is easily cultivated in Indonesia. Pineapple leaf is one of the agricultural waste that has fiber that contains high levels of cellulose, which is very suitable for application as a raw material in the manufacture of medium density fiberboard (MDF). Moreover, adhesives that are commonly used in the manufacture of MDF are synthetic adhesives derived from fossil fuel which is limited, non-renewable, and have a negative impact on human and environmental. Therefore, an adhesive that is renewable and environmentally friendly is needed, such as cassava peel starch and citric acid. This research studied the effect of cassava peel starch and citric acid as a natural adhesive of fiberboard from pineapple leaf fiber. The method used in this research is semi-chemical pulping and wet-process. The mixture ratios of starch/citric acid were set at 100/0, 0/100, and 12/88 (w/w), while the adhesive content was set at 20 wt.%. The board was hot-pressed at 170oC for 25 min. The MDF was manufactured in 10 x 15 x 0,9 cm, with the target density 0.6 g/cm3. And then, the physical properties of fiberboard was tested in accordance JIS A 5905 2003 standard. The results showed that the MDF bonded with cassava peel starch and citric acid give a positive effect on the physical properties compared to MDF bonded with cassava peel starch only.