Eco-friendly Corn-husk-based Natural-Fiber Composite Panels: Thermal, Acoustic, and Light-induced Degradation Behavior for Sustainable Engineering Applications

In this study, we explore the thermal, acoustic, and photodegradation properties of ecofriendly corn-husk plywood of various densities (600, 800, and 1000 kg/m³) and thicknesses (3, 5, and 10 mm).Thermal tests showed that lower density increased internal porosity, reducing thermal conductivity.Acoustic measurements in a small reverberation chamber revealed that sound absorption improved with lower density and greater thickness.The 10-600 (thicknessdensity) sample achieved a peak absorption coefficient of 0.41 at 6300 Hz and an average coefficient of 0.308, exceeding the 0.200 benchmark for effective sound-absorbing materials.Photodegradation under 28 days of UV-A and visible light exposure led to a 60% decrease in tensile strength and 8.2% weight loss.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed a reduction in C1s (87.3 to 72.8%) and an increase in O1s (12.7 to 27.2%), indicating cellulose oxidation and chain scission.These results demonstrate that low-density corn-husk plywood combines strong thermal and acoustic performance with inherent photodegradability, making it a promising sustainable building material.