BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Thermal insulation is used to reduce or even eliminate exchanges between two bodies
of different temperature. Modern building design calls for materials with high insulation
performance, whilst being cost effective and hazardless for the environment. Changes in the
seasons and temperatures can require various thermal insulators in order to keep heat from
escaping specific structures.
Nowadays, many researchers have been developing an alternative thermal insulation board
using eco-friendly materials. The common waste materials used are solid types, organic types
and recyclable. This increase the efficiency of energy used and reduces impact to human
well-being and the environment
Thermal insulation is not so long compared with other materials, but human beings
have been aware of the importance of insulation for a long time.
In the prehistoric time, human beings began their activity of making shelters against wild
animals and heavy weather, human being started their exploration of thermal insulation.
The materials of animal furs and plant products can hold a large amount of air between
molecules which can create an air cavity to reduce the heat exchange.
As time goes by, more and more artificial thermal insulation materials were developed, like
rock wool, fiberglass, foam glass, and hollow blocks.
The main purpose of insulation is to create a barrier around the building, that is, over
the roof on the wall and beneath the floor, which reduces the amount of heat entering the
home on a warm day, and reducing the amount of heat loss on a cold day.
However, the use inorganic materials may be harmful to human health and cause
environmental pollution, such as carbon emissions and emissions of toxic gases and
particles. In addition, the production of these inorganic materials is highly energy intensive,
and their disposal creates an environmental hazard. This suggests the need for renewable
fibrous thermal insulation materials made from trees, plants, and animals.
Taro is one of the most ancient cultivated crops. Taro is found widely in tropical
and subtropical regions of South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, and
northern Australia and is highly polymorphic, making taxonomy and distinction between wild
and cultivated types difficult. Taro were carried into the Pacific Islands by Austronesian
peoples from around 1300 BC, where they became a staple crop of Polynesians, along with
other types of "taros", like Alocasia macrorrhizos, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius,
and Cyrtosperma merkusii.
However, more recent studies have pointed out that wild taro may have a much larger native
distribution than previously believed, and wild breeding types may also likely be indigenous to
tha other parts of Island Southeast Asia.
Taro or Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) is a tropical plant grown primarily as a root
vegetable for its edible corm, and secondarily as a leaf vegetable. Taro tubers contain 70 to
80 percent of starch in them.
Since taro is root crop its moisture content is very high and accounts two third of the total
weight of the fresh crops. Moisture content of taro varies with variety, growth condition and
harvest time. In general the moisture content of taro ranges from 60-83%. These plants are
widely available throughout the Philippines.
Taro plants has different kinds of species and not all can be eaten. Most of non-edible
plants are cut down and just being dispose.
Towards the general objective of bridging our knowledge gap on the issues raised, the
present study was carried specifically to investigate the capability of taro stem in thermal
conductivity.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study aims to produce thermal boards using dried taro stem.
Specifically, it desire:
1.) To determine the ratio of binder and taro stem to produce high quality
2.) To test the product in terms of:
(a) Thermal conductivity test
(b) Impact test
(c) Nail head Pull-through
3.) To compute the estimated Return of Investment of the product after one year
