Preparation and Characterization of Cork Layered Composite Plywood Boards

In the furniture and construction industries, there is increased demand for lightweight, high-performance, and low-maintenance materials with specific properties. Increased demand necessitates testing of new and composite materials to find a viable alternatives to classical materials. In this study, two different types of cork layered plywood composites (plywood board with a cork core (PLYW-K1), and plywood board with a cork core and cork face layers (PLYW-K2)) were prepared and tested for their basic mechanical properties as well as screw withdrawal resistance. The measured properties were compared with standard particleboard (PB) and plywood board (PLYW1) to determine the difference in properties and potential applications. The results presented include preparation parameters, mechanical properties, maximum withdrawal force, and withdrawal resistance. In addition, the effect of screw diameter and material density on withdrawal resistance was observed. Results indicate that cork-layered plywood possessed superior mechanical properties and withdrawal strength at a much lower density than particleboard. In comparison to classical plywood, the improved factors were a reduction in density and production cost.