Abstract
Considering the major role played by sandwich structures in many fields where high stiffness-to-weight ratio is required, the selection of a suitable core material is of paramount importance. In order to face the environmental problems related to waste disposal, the selection of an eco-friendly core material is now included in the design criteria of sandwich structures. Agglomerated cork is recognized as a good solution that combines satisfactory mechanical performances and eco-sustainability. Many research studies individually addressed cork’s morphological, thermal, and mechanical features without providing a comprehensive overview of the relationships that exist between them. In this work, the investigation of the peculiar cork morphology allowed learning more about its good insulation capacity and its impressive recovery capability. The use of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) clarified the influence of temperature on both flexural and compressive performances. The effect of testing parameters such as temperature and speed on agglomerated cork properties was validated through statistical analysis. Moreover, to highlight agglomerated cork advantages and drawbacks, the work provides also a comparison with more traditional polyvinylchloride (PVC) foams commonly used in industrial applications.
Highlights
Sandwich structures are gaining greater importance in many fields such as transportation and buildings, fulfilling structural and semi-structural requirements
Despite the good results obtained with these core materials, the environmental problems related to pollution and the more restrictive regulations in the field of waste disposal make it necessary to find an alternative to these synthetic materials
Three agglomerated corks obtained by the same cork type but with different densities were used in this work in order to investigate the influence of this parameter on cork properties
Summary
Sandwich structures are gaining greater importance in many fields such as transportation and buildings, fulfilling structural and semi-structural requirements. They combine high strength, stiffness, and lightness ensuring high stiffness-to-weight ratio and good structural performances. Core materials are traditionally produced employing synthetic materials and can be grouped into four main categories: foams, honeycombs, web core, and corrugated core [1]. Polyurethane (PUR), phenolic, polystyrene (PS), and polyvinylchloride (PVC) are the traditional polymers used to obtain core foams, whereas polypropylene (PP), Nomex, and aluminum are usually employed to produce. Despite the good results obtained with these core materials, the environmental problems related to pollution and the more restrictive regulations in the field of waste disposal make it necessary to find an alternative to these synthetic materials
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