BALSA INDONESIA

The properties of balsa make it ideal as a core for sandwich construction. It has an extremely high strength and stiffness to weight ratio, and achieves an excellent bond with all types of resins and adhesives. It is compatible with a variety of manufacturing processes and is resistant to temperature changes, exposure to fire or chemicals such as styrene. It is an ideal core material for an extensive range of applications. It is also a renewable resource.

The most commonly used wood core is end-grain balsa. Balsa wood cores first appeared in the 1940's in flying boat hulls, which were aluminium skinned and balsa-cored to withstand the repeated impact of landing on water. This performance led the marine industry to begin using end-grain balsa as a core material in FRP construction. Apart from its high compressive properties, its advantages include being a good thermal insulator offering good acoustic absorption. The material will not deform when heated and acts as an insulating and ablative layer in a fire, with the core charring slowly, allowing the non-exposed skin to remain structurally sound. It also offers positive flotation and is easily worked with simple tools and equipment.