Developing a lightweight corrugated sandwich panel based on tea oil camellia shell: correlation of experimental and numerical performance

This study presents an experimental and numerical comparison between the mechanical performance of a lightweight corrugated sandwich panel based on the tea oil camellia shell (TOCS). Hence, TOCS was mixed in two groups with Poplar particles and fibers. After that, in the experimental part, the conventional mechanical tests, including the 3-point bending test, flatwise compression, dowel bearing, and screw resistance, and in the numerical part, finite element analysis (FEA), including the normal, maximum principal, and equivalent (von Mises) stress by Ansys Mechanical software carried out. The specimens for experimental and numerical tests were prepared in transverse and longitudinal directions. Before that, the engineering data (shear modulus, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio) for improving the FEA simulation were obtained from TOCS-based flat panels fabricated with a mixture of Poplar particles and fibers. The results of FEA are used to compare the mechanical behavior and failure mechanism with the results of experimental tests. According to the mean values of bending stiffness and maximum bending moment, sandwich panels made with 100% particles demonstrated an advantage in both directions. Nevertheless, the compression strength and screw resistance showed the same trend, but the dowel bearing showed higher values for panels made with fibers. The observed results of equivalent (von Mises) stress indicated a coloration with the results of failure mechanisms.