TY  - EJOU
AU  - Ghani, Ros Syazmini Mohd 
AU  - Sulaiman, Mohamad Saiful 
AU  - Razali, Sofiyah Mohd 
AU  - Yusof, Madihan 
AU  - Iling, Ellisha 

TI  - Preliminary Fabrication and Characterization of Cross-Laminated Panel Made from Nipah Palm Petiole Fibres
T2  - Journal of Renewable Materials

PY  - 2026
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
SN  - 2164-6341

AB  - The increasing demand for sustainable construction materials has driven research into non-wood biomass for engineered composites. This study reports the preliminary fabrication and evaluation of cross-laminated panels (CLPs) made from Nipah palm (<i>Nypa fruticans</i>) petioles bonded with a bio-epoxy resin adhesive. Panels were manufactured at three target densities (400, 600, and 800 kg/m<sup>3</sup>) and evaluated for their physical, mechanical, and microstructural properties. Physical tests included moisture content, water absorption, and thickness swelling, while mechanical tests measured compressive and flexural strength in accordance with JIS A 5908:2022 and ASTM D1037 standards. The results showed that higher panel density reduced moisture content, swelling, and water absorption, thereby improving dimensional stability. Mechanical performance also increased significantly with density, reaching compressive strength of 25 MPa and flexural strength of 27.4 MPa at 800 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, values within the range of structural-grade wood-based panels. Microstructural analysis confirmed enhanced adhesive penetration, reduced voids, and stronger fibre bonding at higher densities. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of Nipah palm petioles as a raw material for CLPs and highlight their potential as sustainable structural panels in construction and interior applications.
KW  - Compressive strength; flexural strength; bio-based epoxy; structural grade panel; density

DO  - 10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0174