Cork vs Plywood
Natural Material · grade comparison
Cork and Plywood are both natural material grades. Plywood is the stronger of the two: tensile strength 30 MPa (4.35 ksi) against 1 MPa (0.16 ksi) for Cork, about 27 times as much. In exchange, Cork is the more ductile: elongation 7% versus 1% for Plywood. Cork is lighter (0.16 g/cm³ vs 0.55 g/cm³ for Plywood) and Plywood is stiffer (9 GPa vs 0.02 GPa). On the shop floor, Plywood sits in a lower cost tier (budget, $) than Cork (premium, $$$).
CorkChoose it when the part is bent, formed or impact-loaded, or when weight is the constraint.
PlywoodChoose it when strength drives the design, or when cost is the deciding factor.
Cork vs Plywood: propertiesHow to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all natural material grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
How to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all natural material grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
Mechanical
Strength, stiffness, ductility and hardness at room temperature.
Elastic (Young's) Modulus
Shear Modulus
Bulk Modulus
Poisson's Ratio
Tensile Strength (Ultimate)
Elongation at Break
Compressive Strength
Flexural Strength
Shear Strength
Fracture Toughness (K_IC)
Physical
Density and transition temperatures.
Density
Porosity
Thermal
How each material carries heat and how hot it can run.
Thermal Conductivity
Specific Heat Capacity
Thermal Expansion (CTE, 20–100 °C)
Max Service Temperature (continuous)
Min Service Temperature
Electrical
Conductivity and insulation.
Electrical Resistivity
Dielectric Strength
Chemical & Environmental
Corrosion and environmental resistance (0–100 scores).
Corrosion Resistance
Manufacturability
FabDigit workshop ratings (0–100 scores) — how each material behaves on the machine.
Machinability
Polishability
Sustainability
Primary-production footprint per kilogram.
Embodied Energy (primary production)
Embodied Carbon (primary production)
Embodied Water
Typical Recycled Content
Common Calculations
Ratios derived from the values above.
Specific Strength (UTS / density)
Specific Stiffness (E / density)
Thermal Diffusivity
Same in both: Thermal Shock Resistance Index 0
Strength versus weight
Yield strength against density for every natural material grade in the FabDigit library; the compared grades are highlighted. Up and left is stronger for its weight.
Manufacturing and finishing
| Capability | Cork | Plywood |
|---|---|---|
| Default condition | — | — |
| Relative cost | $$$ Premium | $ Budget |
| Min. machined wall | — | — |
| Best machined surface | — | — |
Cork vs Plywood — frequently asked
Is Plywood stronger than Cork?
Yes. Plywood has a typical tensile strength of 30 MPa (4.35 ksi) against 1 MPa (0.16 ksi) for Cork — about 27 times as much.
Which is cheaper, Cork or Plywood?
Plywood is the lower-cost material: it sits in the budget tier ($) while Cork is premium ($$$). Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Which is easier to machine, Cork or Plywood?
Plywood. Its machinability rates excellent (88/100) against very good (80/100) for Cork.
Ready to make it?
Upload a CAD file and FabDigit prices the part in Cork and Plywood side by side — material, machining time, tolerance and finish in one quote. Certified material data ships with the order on request.
Typical handbook values for the conditions named above, normalised for comparison. Hardness on non-Brinell scales is converted approximately for charting only. Request certified data with your order for design-critical properties.