EVALUATION OF DIMENSIONAL STABILITY OF GYPSUM-BONDED BOARDS REINFORCED WITH NATURAL FIBRES

The dimensional stability of ceiling boards produced from gypsum reinforced with natural fibres was assessed. Twenty-seven (27) medium board density of 600kg/m 3 having dimension 200 x 200 x 10mm were produced from Plaster of Paris (POP) at four different mixing proportion of 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of Cocos nucifera, Thaumatococcus danielli and yarns. Water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) properties of the experimental boards were assessed after 24 and 48 hours using standard methods. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis and analysis of variance. Boards obtained from different mixing proportion of gypsum, natural and synthetic fibres displayed water absorption values which ranged from 4.18 to 26.01% and thickness swelling values of 1.11 to 3.6%. The percentage of WA and TS reduces as the percentage of natural fibres to synthetic fibres increases. The results show that it is possible to make boards from natural fibres because the results compared favourably with the results of the boards from conventional fibres.