Comparison study of mechanical properties of wood with the composite polyester/Bangkirai wood powder (Shorea laevifolia Endert) and lime wood (Dryobalanops aromatica Gaertn)

The main material of wood has a variety of mechanical properties for various purposes such as the construction of houses, household needs, furniture, panels, accessories, and others. It makes the demand for wood products increase as well as waste which also increased. The increase of the product can be offset by adequate supply, meanwhile, wood in the form of wood chips and sawdust or wood particles is underutilized so that it is necessary to optimize its existence. Creating a new product as a composite is a new development for many researchers. In this research, based composites were used from wood Lime powder (Dryobalanops Aromatica Gaertn) and Bangkirai wood (Shorea laevifolia Endert). The woods were analyzed by the 5% NaOH alkalization method. A mixture of sawdust, polyester, catalyst, was printed in the mold using the compression molding method. In this study, the mechanical properties applied to wood and wood composites are tensile strength, bending, and hardness. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was carried out to check the distribution of the matrix and filler.