In a scientific article titled Enhancing Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) Laminated Board Properties with Impregnation of Citric Acid, Boric Acid, and Polystyrene, the names of researchers from various institutions in Indonesia and Malaysia appear. Yet among the list, the name Rudi Hartono emerges as the corresponding author—a position that quietly affirms his role as the intellectual driving force behind this research. For the field of biomaterial engineering, the presence of young researchers like Rudi shows that innovation does not grow only in established research centers, but also in universities committed to strengthening applied science for industrial needs and sustainability.

 

Research on jabon begins from a longstanding concern in the forestry sector: how to improve the value of fast-growing wood without increasing pressure on natural forests. Jabon—a lightweight wood that thrives in community forests—is often considered “second class” because of its limited strength and stability. It grows quickly, is easy to cultivate, and has great economic potential, but is not strong enough for more complex structural applications. This is where the challenge lies, and where Rudi began his research journey. “We can utilize community-grown timber to produce high-value products. The key lies in technology,” he said during an academic discussion on the direction of tropical biomaterial research.

 

After reviewing dozens of previous studies, Rudi realized that most research focused only on a single type of polymer-rich impregnation or a single strengthening agent. Almost no approach combined three different agents to create a synergistic effect. From this scientific reflection emerged the idea of combining citric acid (CA), boric acid (BA), and polystyrene (PS) as wood impregnation agents. This approach rests on deep scientific understanding of wood cell wall structure, chemical interactions of active compounds, and the mechanical requirements needed for jabon to compete with high-grade commercial wood. Rudi saw potential in citric acid as a natural crosslinker strengthening internal networks, boric acid as a biological resistance enhancer, and polystyrene as a contributor to stiffness and dimensional stability. On paper, the idea was logical; in the laboratory, the concept was tested through a series of lengthy experiments.

 

The formulation process of the impregnation became one of the greatest challenges. Fast-growing wood has large, highly variable pores, making material penetration inconsistent. Therefore, the team led by Rudi designed precise technical protocols to ensure uniform distribution of chemicals into wood structure before the lamination stage. At this phase, Rudi’s understanding of microstructure played a major role: he ensured each sample underwent rigorous testing through cell structure scanning and mechanical evaluations that reinforced each other. After months of experimentation, the results became clear. Jabon—which was previously fragile and easily deformed—now showed significant improvement: stronger, more stable, more resistant to moisture, and more resistant to biological degradation. The CA–BA–PS impregnation created structural transformation not only visible on the wood surface, but down to the cellulose and lignin levels that support the material itself.

 

Empirical data show significant increases in modulus of elasticity, bending strength, and substantial reductions in thickness swelling. Polystyrene closed wood pores and increased stiffness, citric acid created crosslinks in the cell walls, while boric acid enhanced biological resistance. This combination had never before been tested on jabon laminated board, and the innovation marks an important achievement for Indonesia’s engineered wood industry. In many discussions, Rudi emphasizes that this success is not merely a rise in numbers within test tables, but proof that community timber can “level up” through appropriate, environmentally conscious technology.

 

This study reflects Rudi’s important contribution as a researcher capable of bridging basic science with industrial application. He does not only understand wood structure from a scientific perspective, but can translate it into material solutions relevant to the market. Modified jabon has potential uses in furniture panels, interior components, and lightweight construction materials that the industry increasingly demands. With enhanced mechanical properties, jabon now holds the opportunity to become a sustainable raw material source that reduces dependence on natural forest timber. This is a form of innovation that is not only technical but also carries broad ecological and social impact.

 

Rudi also demonstrates strong capability in managing multidisciplinary and multi-institution collaborations. This research involves major universities in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as researchers across fields—from wood chemistry and forest products technology to material engineering. Such collaboration reflects Indonesia’s position as one of the centers of tropical biomaterial research, with Rudi playing a central role as a connector across disciplines. He not only led the scientific analysis but ensured the research produced outputs useful for the industrial sector, from small community furniture enterprises to macro-level green industry development.

 

His contribution to this study illustrates how research can serve as a strategic development pathway: engineered wood innovation not only produces materials, but also enables circular economy practices, wood waste utilization, value-added enhancement, and substitution of imported materials. Beyond that, studies like this strengthen Indonesia’s position as a global leader in tropical biomaterial research—a field increasingly relevant in the face of climate crisis and growing demand for renewable materials.

 

Behind the data analysis, microstructure imaging, and mechanical testing, this research is also a story of future vision. Rudi believes that fast-growing wood like jabon is not a marginal material. It is an asset that has not yet been fully optimized. With the right technology, community timber can become part of modern, greener construction industries, and Indonesia can develop new standards in biomaterial manufacturing.

 

In many developed countries, engineered wood innovation has become the backbone of sustainable development. Indonesia, as one of the nations with the world’s greatest biodiversity, holds enormous potential if it can develop technologies that add value to its tropical resources. Through his research, Rudi Hartono demonstrates that this potential is real and achievable through meticulous scientific work, strong collaboration, and long-term vision that sees wood not merely as a commodity but as a solution.

 

This study stands as an important contribution to Indonesia’s material research landscape. It is not merely a scientific report but a foundation for further innovation: the use of natural resins as alternatives to synthetic polymers, optimization of impregnation for heavier structural applications, and long-term durability testing under extreme tropical conditions. From this research also emerges the possibility of developing jabon-based laminated boards as modular building materials, premium furniture, or components for creative industries requiring high stability.

 

Ultimately, Rudi Hartono’s contribution is not only in the data printed in scientific journals but in the broader idea he advances: that tropical biomaterial innovation is the future, that community-grown timber can become a pillar of sustainability, and that Indonesia can be a center of engineering innovation based on renewable natural resources. From the laboratory, from mechanical testing boards, to international scientific publications, this idea is now taking shape—a step forward for science, for industry, and for the future of Indonesian forestry.