Sandwich panels from cork and polyester in presence of epoxy resin as interfacial adhesive

This work presents an experimental study to determine the mechanical properties in bending, tension, compression and shear of a new sandwich material based on natural materials (jute and cork). The sandwich material is made basically of natural materials whose soul is agglomerated cork white (located in Jijel, East of Algeria) and the skins are woven jute with ortho phthalic polyester resin. Agglomerated white cork granules with medium density were used (cork boards with thicknesses of 10, 20 and 30 mm). The bending tests were performed on standard samples that were cut elaborate sandwich plates. The sandwich material prepared was tested for 3 and 4 flex points which indicate the stress, strain, bending stiffness, shear strength and failure mode. It was also found that a core thickness of 10 mm has better results compared to 20 and 30 mm. The results of this study allow us to develop a variety of agglomerated cork white product in for the development of low-density sandwich panels for use in the field of insulation and field of construction. Key words: Cork, jute, resin, sandwich, mechanical characteristics.