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All Journal International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Technologies and Applications (MECHTA)
Alhajj, Baligh
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Automotive Engineering Energy Engineering Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Mechanical Engineering

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Thermal and Acoustic Properties of Coir Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites Othman, Asaad Belal; Winarto, Winarto; Bintarto, Redi; Caesarendra, Wahyu; Alhajj, Baligh
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Technologies and Applications Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): July - December 2026
Publisher : Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Brawijaya University

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.21776/MECHTA.2026.007.02.6

Abstract

The building industry accounts for roughly one-third of worldwide energy use and CO? emissions, with a significant portion spent on heating and cooling. Improving energy efficiency through effective insulation materials is critical for reducing this global demand and mitigating climate change. This paper explores the use of coconut coir fiber—a renewable, low-density byproduct of coconut processing—as a reinforcement in epoxy coatings for metal ceilings. To improve fiber-matrix bonding, the coir fibers were treated with alkali (5% NaOH) before being added to a bisphenol-A epoxy resin in 0–50 wt.% ratios and hand-laminated to 0.3 mm galvalume steel panels. Thermal and acoustic performance were measured under solar radiation (~900–1200 W/m²) and a simulated rain impact (~17 L/min flow of water), respectively. Findings depict a significant enhancement of insulation with an increased content of coir. Thermally, the 50 wt.% coir sample reduced thermal conductivity by more than 50% compared to pure epoxy and kept interior temperatures 5–6 °C lower than ambient. Acoustically, the 50 wt.% coir composites achieved a sound transmission loss of approximately 24 dB at 2000 Hz, which is double the performance of the pure epoxy ceiling (12 dB). The noise of rain in rooms was also reduced by approximately 12 dB under the 50% corrugated roof. These results demonstrate that the low density, porous nature, and capacity to trap air are major contributors to the thermal and acoustic insulation of coir. Finally, coir-epoxy finishes are an environmentally friendly, sustainable solution for enhancing energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and noise mitigation in buildings.
Co-Authors Othman, Asaad Belal Redi Bintarto, Redi Wahyu Caesarendra Winarto Winarto