The use of leftover oil palm (Eaeis guineesis) trunks, otherwise plantation waste material
of palm oil industry, has been recently explored as
the core of structural sandwich panels [1]. Due to its relatively low density with
an average value of 235 kg/m3 [2], the oil palm wood has great
potential to be a good alternative to replace polymer foam core commonly
used in the lightweight sandwich structures [3–5]. Since it is a
natural material, the oil palm wood possesses a large density variation
ranging from 190 kg/m3 to 580 kg/m3 both in the cross section and
along the oil palm trunk height [6]. This density variation affects the mechanical
properties of the oil palm wood and therefore the sandwich
panels containing the oil palm wood core. Therefore, a method is needed
to predict the bending stiffness and strength of oil palm wood core
sandwich panels at various oil palm wood core densities to achieve a
more practical use of this product.