Background of the Study Most adhesives contain chemicals which can be harmful to the environment. Furthermore, production of adhesives containing various chemical components continuously adds up to problematic atmospheric pollution. The prices of commercially available synthetic adhesives continuously increase. Pili nut, a product of a Pili tree, is a versatile nut used for a variety of products such as pili nut brittle, pili cake, roasted pili and many other Filipino delicacies. The nut kernel, the most important part of Pili, can also be roasted and eaten as a substitute for almonds. (dela Rosa, 2004) The Pili is a shady tree with resinous wood that grows locally. It has potential resins that could be a possible substitute for synthetic adhesives; its sap can be processed into paint, adhesives and printing ink. Resins can also be used for the manufacature as plaster and varnishes. Besides these uses, the Pili nut has a shell, which is considered as waste. As such it is usually thrown aside, producing additional waste. This waste can be recycled to produce an adhesive.
Statement of the Problem This research will investigate the potential of an adhesive from pili nut shell extract. It will determine if the experimental product is comparable to the control in terms of cost, effectiveness, and biodegradability. Significance of the Study Pili nut shell is usually thrown away. However, it can be used to develop a cheaper biodegradable alternative to synthetic adhesives and reduce waste simultaneously.
Scope and Limitations of the Study Only pili nut shells and pulp shall be used in the experiment. The shell and pulp extracts shall be obtained through Soxhlet extraction using Hexane (C6H14) as the solvent. After which, the resulting extracts shall be separated from the solvent through distillation, separately. The obtained pili nut shell extract and pulp extract shall then be tested in 30%, 50% and 70% concentrations. The