**6.3 Handicraft materials: insulation boards, paper, rope, and furniture production**

Nowadays, in the wake of global warming, bio-based building materials are becoming increasingly popular to reduce energy consumption in the construction industry. WH biomass can be professionally transformed into durable, esthetic furniture and handicrafts [67]. According to Salsa-Ruiz et al. [19] investigations, insulation boards made of WH have demonstrated their effectiveness in the construction sectors. Fiberboards (see **Figure 3**) made of WH fiber are also adequately useful for indoor partitions and low-cast roofing material due to their proven physical properties [47, 67, 73].

WH also provides a highly appealing mash that may be utilized to make a range of paper and sheets (see **Figure 3**) that are easy to produce [74]. Various studies have confirmed this; for instance, small-scale industry paper-making ventures have been fruitful in different countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and India [47, 67, 73, 74]. Paper made from WH stem is used for making envelopes and boxes. However, to increase the quality of WH paper, the fiber can be mixed with waste paper or jute [74].

The fiber from the WH plant's stems can also be used to produce rope; the ropemaking process is like that of jute rope, used to make furniture (see **Figure 3**). However, because of the greater material quality interest and the difficulty of production procedures, using WH rope for furniture manufacturing is still challenging. In this case, the finished WH stem rope is treated with sodium metabisulfite Na2S2O5 to prevent the product from rotting [67]. The rope, obviously, can be utilized

*Invasive Water Hyacinth Challenges, Opportunities, Mitigation, and Policy Implications… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106779*

**Figure 3.** *Handcrafts: rope, furniture, fiberboard, paper, basket, and trash bin made from WH biomass.*

accordingly, yet countless items, similar to those referenced above and bins/basket making (see **Figure 3**), can likewise be fabricated from it [53, 73].

#### **6.4 Biopolymers**

Several renewable resources are now being investigated for biopolymer synthesis; Because of its high cellulose content and rapid growth rate, WH has attracted interest as a potential source for cement composites and bioplastics. Salas-Ruiz et al. [19] discovered that WH root ash might be used to remediate pollutants in cement matrices as a substitute for pozzolans. These new biopolymers are highly compatible, readily available, cost-effective, and encourage waste and pollution recycling and eradication. They include polysaccharides, polypeptides, and polynucleotides [56]. WH could be used with other agricultural wastes to create bioplastic with a high biodegradability rate and replace synthetic plastics. Food packaging, hydrogels, medicine delivery, and pharmaceuticals are just a few of the applications for these biopolymers [18].

Thermochemical and alkaline-peroxide treatments were employed to obtain highquality cellulose nanoparticles from WH stem cellulose [75]. The leaves of the WH plant are used to make silver nanoparticles. Also, environmentally friendly manufacture of platinum nanoparticles employing WH plant aqueous extracts as effective reducing and stabilizing agents has been suggested [76]. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles using cellulose extracted from WH was also achieved [77]. Nanomaterials produced from WH have been applied in wound dressings [59], biodegradable packaging films [18], and hydrogel [78]. However, more research on the WH plant's wound-healing abilities is required.
