Conducted a Research about Kapok Wood, Forestry Student of IPB University becomes the best graduate.

Rizal Danang Firdaus becomes the best graduate of Forestry Faculty of IPB University due to his success at increasing the quality of kapok wood in his research. He got the bachelor of forestry degree in October 2019. Rizal conducted a research entitled Physical and Mechanical Traits of Kapok Wood (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn) Infected with Alkali Preliminary Treatment.

As a forestry student, he knows that kapok wood has a low density, very fragile, and has high potential, but it’s underutilized.

“Therefore, I feel challenged to conduct a kapok wood research so it will have a high added value. In conducting this research, I was supervised by Dr. Ir. Deded Sarip Nawawi, MSc. All this time, Kapok wood is used to be underutilized, but in fact, its potential can be increased so it might give economic value for the society and industry. The improvement of kapok wood quality can be done through densification with alkali preliminary treatment. The principle of this work’s method is through modifying the condition of wood’s condensation to increase the wood’s traits.” he said.

The result of this research shows that the quality of kapok wood has increased physically and mechanically compared to its condition in the beginning. The wood becomes stronger and more resistant to the development caused by water so that increases its endurance and gives economic value.

This research is conducted for six months in Laboratory of Forest Product Chemistry, Laboratory of Wood Quality Improvement Technology, Laboratory of Wood Building and Design Engineering, and Department of Forestry Products, IPB University. (IAAS/NRF)

Keyword: Kapok wood, Bachelor of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry, IPB University