a research paper about coconuts

1. PROPONENT: GIEANNE ANTONETTE
QUIRANTE

2. Introduction
The Philippines is one of the largest producers of coconuts only second to
Indonesia. With that being said, if there is a large demand for a product, there
would be a large supply of waste produced by the left overs or the parts not
needed for this product.
Countries all over the world like in the United Kingdom are currently facing a brick
shortage due to an increase of cost to buy the raw materials needed to make
bricks. This of course would result in an increase in the prices of buying the
materials needed to construct a house. Coir which is the fiber from the outer husk
of a coconut is a versatile material that can be turned into ropes or matting.
The researcher plans to use this material as a main component in making bricks as
an alternative to commercial bricks to reduce the waste produced by coconuts and
its husks.

3. Significance
The researcher wishes to conduct this study to gain
more knowledge about the uses of coconuts, a tree that
we know as the tree of life. The researcher wishes to find
out the versatility and efficiency of coconut products as
well as its new uses so that it may benefit those in need
like the coconut farmers, the environment, as well as the
industries for constructions.

4. • The study will benefit the following:
• The coconut farmers. This study may help them to earn extra income if
they are to sell the coconut fibers instead of throwing them away to go to
waste.
• The environment. This study aims to use the otherwise waste product of
coconuts to minimize the waste that is accumulated and are left in the
environment to biodegrade for years.
• The future researchers. This study may serve as one of the references
that they acquire for studies with similar subjects.
• The material and construction industry. The results of this study may be
useful to the construction industry and the coconut fiber may be used as
a new ingredient for making bricks.
• The researcher. The researcher will gain new knowledge about the topic
as well as improve their skills in making a research plan and paper.

5. Research questions
Generally, the purpose of this study is to find out the efficiency of coconut
fiber as a main component for brick making. Specifically, it aims to answer the
following:
• What are the attributes of coconut fiber in terms of?
1.1 Color? 1.3 Hardness? 1.5 Durability? 1.7 Dimension?
1.2 Structure? 1.4 Cost? 1.6 Water absorption?
• Are there significant differences between coconut husks bricks and
commercial bricks in terms of:
2.1 Color? 2.3 Hardness? 2.5 Durability? 2.7 Dimension?
2.2 Structure? 2.4 Cost? 2.6 Water absorption?

6. There are no big differences in the color, structure, hardness, price,
durability, water absorption, and dimensions of bricks made of
coconut husk and commercial concrete blocks.
There are big differences in the color, structure, hardness, price,
durability, water absorption, and dimensions of bricks made of
coconut husk and commercial concrete blocks
Hypothesis

7. Expected Outcomes
The researcher expects that the study will provide a change to
the construction industry and to help the lives of coconut
farmers for the better by allowing them to earn more and to
use the coconuts that they harvest to its full potential. The
researcher is hoping that this study will be able to pave the
way for other researchers to discover other alternatives for
brick making that will then help the construction industry in
the housing crisis.

8. Objectives
• General: to formulate a product that is safe,
sustainable, needed, environmentally friendly, and
useful.
• Specific: aid in the reduction of product waste,
specifically coconut husks and fiber; contribute new
uses for coconut coir; provide knowledge in the uses of
coconut husks;

9. Procedures
The researcher will gather the materials needed for this study, then, with a
controlled fire that is supervised by an adult, the researcher will burn the coconut
husks gathered in order to make coconut ash. After collecting the coconut ash,
the researcher will then prepare a mixture that consists of the coconut ash, water,
and concrete. After that, the mixture will then be poured into a mold in the shape
of a rectangle to imitate the shape of a brick. It will then be dried using the sun for
about a week. After the drying process, the researcher will start conducting
experiments on the product that the made. The experiments will consist of a
hardness test, durability test, water absorption test, impact test, and an
efflorescence test to see the results of coconut husks as bricks.

10. Risks and safety
The risks that can be associated with this study are burns during the process of
burning the coconut husks. Another risk to consider is the risk of the researcher
injuring themselves during the experimentation process of the study, for example,
accidentally dropping the bricks on their foot while conducting an impact test on
the bricks. To ensure that the researcher will be safe while doing the study, its
procedures, data analysis, and the experimentations that come with it, they will be
doing the proper safety precautions when doing the experiments.
When dealing with fire, the presence of a supervisor, particularly an adult must be
mandatory to ensure that the researcher will not get injured, or, if they do get
injured, the supervisor can perform the proper first aid treatment for burns and
send then to a hospital. In the case of experimenting with the products made, the
researcher will wear the proper clothing in order to stay safe.

11. Data analysis
The researcher will analyze the data through the use of qualitative and quantitative
measures. Then, a comparison will be conducted between commercially bought bricks
and the bricks made from coconut husks.
For qualitative analyses, tables will be shown in order to see the difference between the
set ups and experiment. The researcher will use respondents and observations for
deducing the physical attributes of the coconut husk bricks that will be made. The
researcher will use T-tests which is a statistical test that compares the means of two
samples, for the quantitative analysis. After getting the means, the researcher will
compare and deduce the results. The results will help the researcher in determining
whether the research and the resulting product that was conducted will be a success or
not.

12. Thank you for
listening!