Abstrak
This paper reports on
the investigation of thermal properties of Kapok, Coconut fibre and Sugarcane
bagasse composite materials using molasses as a binder. The composite materials were moulded into
12 cylindrical samples using Kapok, Bagasse, Coconut fibre, Kapok and Bagasse
in the ratios of (70:30; 50:50 and 30:70), Kapok and Coconut fibre in the
ratios of (70:30; 50:50 and 30:70), as well as a combination of Kapok, Bagasse
and Coconut fibre in ratios of (50:10:40; 50:40:10 and 50:30:20). The sample size is a 60 mm
diameter with 10?22 mm thickness compressed at a constant load of 180 N using a Budenberg
compression machine. Thermal conductivity and diffusivity tests were carried
out using thermocouples and the
results were read out on a Digital Multimeter MY64 (Model:
MBEB094816), while
a Digital fluke K/J thermocouple meter PRD-011 (S/NO 6835050) was used to obtain the
temperature measurement for diffusivity. It was observed that of all the twelve
samples moulded, Bagasse, Kapok plus Bagasse (50:50), Kapok plus Coconut fibre
(50:50) and Kapok plus Bagasse plus Coconut fibre (50:40:10) has the lowest
thermal conductivity of 0.0074, 0.0106, 0.0132, and 0.0127 W/(m-K) respectively
and the highest
thermal resistivity. In this regard, Bagasse has the lowest thermal
conductivity followed by Kapok plus Bagasse (50:50), Kapok plus Bagasse plus
Coconut fibre (50:40:10) and Kapok plus Coconut fibre (50:50).
