Launchers

The first – and biggest – initial challenge for any space programme is overcoming Earth’s gravity during launch. 

Every potential area for saving weight while maintaining durability and structural integrity in extreme temperatures has to be considered. This is why cork with its unique honeycomb structure made up of up to 40 million cells in every cubic centimetre makes an ideal base for TPS (Thermal Protection System) composite materials in the latest rocket launches.

Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)

In May 2023 South Korea successfully launched its own domestically produced space vehicle NURI and placed several non- military satellites into orbit. The next launch by South Korea is scheduled for November 2025.

A Key requirement for this mission was the need for a TPS (thermal protection system) that could resist extreme temperatures during ascent and re-entry, reduce overall vehicle weight without compromising performance and contribute to the sustainability of materials used in aerospace. Amorim Cork Solutions provided its P50 cork-based thermal protection system meeting all these requirements.

Credit: Composites World

Composites can also offer design flexibility that is unparalleled by metals. Traditional materials like aluminium and titanium, although relatively strong, are much heavier compared with modern composites.

Carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs), for example, have become a preferred choice for reducing spacecraft weight and enabling higher payloads and/or reduced fuel consumption and engineers can mould these cork-based composites into complex shapes and structures that are not only lightweight but also aerodynamically efficient.

Credit: Amorim Cork Solutions / Amorim TPS

TPS cork composite materials are regularly applied on SRB (solid rocket boosters) engine skirting, nose cone, frustum, forward and aft skirt, external tank, ring covers, antennae and many other instruments such as antennae and solar panels, which require intricate configurations to optimise performance.

Ablative* thermal protection – another of cork’s many properties

*Ablation (Latin: ablatio – removal) is the removal or destruction of something from an object by vaporisation, chipping, erosive processes, or by other means.

Credit: Heylen Polo / Hemera Space (via LinkedIn)

As spacecraft hurtle back towards a planet’s surface, they encounter extreme thermal environments with temperatures reaching thousands of degrees Celsius. Cork’s unique properties allow it to withstand these high temperatures. It can act as an ablative material, meaning it absorbs heat by charring and eroding, thus protecting the underlying structure.

As the cork heats up, it decomposes and forms a char layer. This layer acts as an insulator, slowing down the heat transfer to the spacecraft’s interior.

Reusable space launch vehicles

SpaceX Booster 12 returns to launch pad October 2024. Credit: Reuters

“As the booster came back through the atmosphere, the engine section started to glow due to the aerodynamic forces causing heat to build up on the cork of the engine shielding. Once at 1 km or so, the 13 centre engines started up and performed the initial landing burn to bleed off most of the velocity.” – nasaspaceflight.com/2024/10/spacex-aces-flight-5-flight-6

Natural, renewable, and recyclable: cork is shaping the future of space technology.

#SpaceTech #CorkInSpace #ThermalProtection #CompositeMaterials

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Cork is a natural material known since Antiquity (Phoenicians and Greeks), mainly as a floating material as well as a sealant for bottles and jars. However, it was only in the late 19th century that people began to understand some of the many other attributes of this unique material. 

One cork product in particular: Expanded Cork Agglomerate was discovered by accident by a US lifejacket manufacturer John Smith of New York who patented the product in July 1891:

In those days lifejackets were made using canvas vests filled with cork granules in tubes or metal cylinders which kept the canvas stretched, until the filling was finished. One night, a cylinder filled with granules was forgotten and accidently rolled into a boiler. 

The next day while cleaning out the furnace it was discovered that the heat had not consumed the cork inside the tube, but rather had turned the granules into a perfectly aggregated dark brown cylindrical mass. Heat in the furnace had expanded the granules, which compressed and became a solid block agglutinated by the natural resin in the cork.

Picture: https://www.corklink.com

Nowadays Expanded Cork Agglomerate, commonly known as Insulation Cork Board (ICB), is produced by exposing the cork granulate (without any additives) simultaneously to a temperature of 335 ° C and a pressure of 0.5 Kg / cm2 for 20 minutes. 

In this process, the cork granulate expands, (i.e. the free spaces between the individual granules are closed by the natural binder (suberin) of the wood material which is released in the process), and is formed into agglomerate blocks. 

The material is odourless and resistant to insects and rodents. Expanded cork does not age, which means that it maintains its properties while maintaining dimensional stability over the years. 

Expanded Cork for insulation on Buildings. Picture: https://www.portuguesetreasures.com

Because every cubic centimetre of cork contains approximately 40 million cells filled with microscopic amounts of air containing nitrogen and oxygen, it came to be realised that cork could also act as an insulator against temperature and sound.

Expanded Cork board for Insulation. Picture: https://www.make-it.london/

Because of this, the building industry is now using more and more cork as architects seek to make buildings more energy efficient and use eco-friendly materials for insulation and to dampen sounds.

Expanded Cork for acoustic insulation and decoration. Picture: https://sound-zero.com/

Expanded Cork furniture. Picture: https://www.arteficius.com 

The cork reduces the propagation of surface and impact sounds. In the event of a fire, expanded cork does not emit any toxic gases. The material is completely recyclable and can be reused in construction. It is now used all over the world in the building trade for its thermal, acoustic and anti-vibration properties as well as its resistance to fire. 

This super-material is also appreciated more and more for its numerous other advantages: in addition to being a natural, biodegradable and renewable material, it is also a CO₂ sink, playing a key role in helping the environment.

For more information on how Expanded Cork is made today: https://youtu.be/yCCXQ-9uNW8

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The project involved a deep retrofit using predominantly natural, local or recycled materials to turn a cold, leaky and uninspiring 1970s building into a modern low-energy and fossil-fuel-free home.

Photography: French+Tye

Originally built as a clergy house for the church next door, the decision was made to preserve the existing structure rather than extend it, focusing the budget primarily on infrastructure, technical performance, and comfort.

The gas supply was removed, an air-source heat pump installed with underfloor heating, new doors and windows and a huge effort was made to improve air-tightness. 

Alongside the cork exterior wall, wood fibre, sheep’s wool and an insulative lime-based plaster with cork granules were used to insulate further internally.

One of the most striking features of the building is the thick cork cladding, with its softly rounded edges. As Nina says, “I really love cork, and being new to the neighbourhood, it has been a nice way to engage with our community. A lot of delivery drivers will say, ‘What’s this?’ and we’ll have a chat for 10 minutes about cork – instead of just a transactional ‘Thank you, bye.’”

As Nina explains: “Cork trees regrow their bark after harvesting, sequestering more CO2 each time. Cork forests are often biodiverse regions and are a wonderful example of regenerative agriculture worth supporting. Dark expanded cork, as used in insulation, doesn’t have any synthetic binders added – the steaming process activates the natural binders within the cork, so it’s a truly natural product with incredibly useful properties. It felt wholly appropriate to use cork extensively in this build as the home has held a strong Portugal connection with previous owners being a Portuguese family living here for 40 years.”

Design: https://ninaand.co – London-based design studio that specialises in sustainable and ethical design principles.
Architects: https://roar-architects.com/
Cork materials: https://www.barnacork.com/

* The ‘Don’t Move, Improve!’ awards are awarded annually by New London Architecture and seek to improve the quality and standards of new housing design.

#recyclable #biobased #biodegradeable #non-toxic #cork 

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It is interesting to speculate why English polymath Robert Hooke chose a piece of cork to examine under his new compound microscope in 1665. Maybe it was his interest in elasticity – Hooke’s Law of elasticity explains the force needed to extend or compress a spring by a certain distance.

Hooke’s publication ‘Micrographia’ was a sensation in 1665. He showed the first plant cells – more precisely, what Hooke saw were the cell walls in cork tissue. It was Hooke who coined the term “cells”: the boxlike cells of cork reminded him of the cells in a monastery. Hooke also reported seeing similar structures in wood and other plants.

The discovery of the cell has had a far greater impact on science than Hooke could have ever dreamed. What we call “cell theory” is a historical theory that is universally accepted today. It has three principles, or postulates:

1. All living things are made of at least one cell.
2. Cells are the basic unit of life.
3. All cells come from pre-existing cells.

In addition to giving us a fundamental understanding of the building blocks of all living organisms, the discovery of the cell has led to advances in medical technology and treatment.

Robert Hooke, the greatest experimental scientist of the seventeenth century is not as widely known he deserves to be – possibly because there is no portrait of him – unlike the many contemporary scientists he knew or collaborated with such as Christian Huygens, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, and Isaac Newton. 

Born on the Isle of Wight in 1635 Robert Hooke was the type of scientist that was then called a virtuoso – able to contribute findings of major importance in any field of science. His interests knew no bounds, ranging from physics and astronomy, to chemistry, biology, and geology, architecture and naval technology.

Some of the many inventions of Robert Hooke were the universal joint, a prototype of the respirator as well as the anchor escapement and the balance spring, which made more accurate clocks possible. He also worked out the correct theory of combustion.

The Monument, London. Photo credit: © The Monument

As Chief Surveyor in London Robert Hooke worked with Sir Christopher Wren in helping to rebuild the city after the Great Fire of 1666. He is best known for designing the Royal Observatory in Greenwich and The Monument to the Great Fire of London in partnership with Wren.

The staircase of The Monument, London. Photo credit: © The Monument

Both Hooke and Wren were keen astronomers, and this interior view of the spiral staircase in The Monument with no central column and an observation chamber below ground level shows how it was originally designed to function as a zenith telescope. Unfortunately, The Monument was never successful for this scientific purpose as the movement of the column – either from wind or traffic vibrations – made it unsuitable.

Robert Hooke FRS (Fellow of The Royal Society) born 18 July 1635 – died 3 March 1703

For more information about the life of Robert Hooke see:
https://theconversation.com/robert-hooke-the-english-leonardo-who-was-a-17th-century-scientific-superstar-119497

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Champagne is justly revered for many reasons. One is the time and effort it takes to produce.

All Champagne undergoes a secondary fermentation on its lees in the bottle before the yeast sediment is removed. This generates the famous pop, fizz and bubbles of Champagne and every bottle is matured for a minimum of 15 months before release and in the case of vintage Champagnes, many years more than this.

Several decades ago, most Champagne houses stopped using corks for their second fermentation in order to reduce production costs By introducing metal ‘crown caps’ and automated disgorgement equipment, they were able to speed up production before re-corking and releasing their Champagnes to the market.

While for large scale producers this was perhaps understandable, scientific studies and taste tests consistently show that this results in Champagnes that miss their ultimate potential for complexity and development.

“Cork ‘eats’ the oxygen, creating not only a fresher wine, but also one with more depth and complexity.” 

– Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de caves at Ruinart Champagne quoted in Club Oenologique January 2023.

Picture: Champagne Moussé Fils

Several Grande Marque Champagnes such as Bollinger and Ruinart have now reverted to secondary fermentation under cork – mainly for some of their prestige cuvées. For example, Dom Ruinart 2010 which was only released in 2023, was the first time in more than 50 years this prestige cuvée had been aged entirely under a cork stopper rather than a metal crown cap.

For many smaller independent grower Champagne producers too, the decision to use corks rather than crown caps is certainly worth considering.

Bérèche et Fils implemented this practice a few generations ago and as John Gilman the renowned USA wine commentator viewfromthecellar.com writes simply that Bérêche is “at the top of its game and producing some of the finest wines in all of Champagne!”.

“Champagne aged under corks will be fresher and have more tension – and the ageing potential becomes wonderful!”

– Cedric Moussé, winemaker at Cuisles-based Champagne Moussé Fils

Cédric Moussé

Another independent Champagne producer Cédric Moussé, winemaker at Cuisles-based Champagne Moussé Fils was quoted recently by Vicki Denig in Wine Searcher magazine explaining how under cork ageing is starkly different from that of a crown cap – and changes over time: 

“The cork is very tender in the beginning, so there is more gas exchange … as time goes on, the corks become more like wood, and can ultimately provide a tighter closure than those provided by crown caps. With crown caps, the [minimal] gas exchange is always the same.”

Additional labour and cost – but the outcome is worth the output.

Moussé admits that the production cost of ageing under cork generally adds €2-3 per bottle, depending on the corks used, though this doesn’t include the cost of added labour. Disgorging by hand takes him around four times as long as when done mechanically, but he says the outcome is still worth the output. 

Independent Champagne Winemaker Etienne Calsac (of his eponymous, Ludes-based estate) agrees: “I’ve done numerous trials and found that ageing my Clos des Maladries cuvée under crown cap for four years is no more interesting than when aged [for shorter periods] under cork, so the shorter ageing period equally brings the benefits that I’m looking for,” he says, adding that cork ageing also renders the wines creamier and more accessible.

Champagne Moussé is imported in the UK by: Special Cases Ltd, 53 Ashfield Road, London W3 7JF.
Email: specialcases@outlook.com

With thanks to:
Wine Searcher magazine: https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2024/10/champagne-goes-under-cork
Club Oenologue: https://cluboenologique.com/story/dom-ruinart-blanc-de-blancs-ageing

#champagne #vintagechampagne #comitechampagne 

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The cork oak (Quercus Suber) has been growing around the West Mediterranean Sea for millions of years. Although this special tree can flourish in many climates, the hot dry conditions of this region particularly favour its commercial use where it thrives on the poor, sandy soil. 

Today there are approximately 2.1 million hectares of cork forests in this region with around 1.44 million hectares in Europe and 0.70 million hectares in North Africa. producing c300,000 tonnes of cork material each year. 

Almost half (46%) of this comes from Portugal, a third (33%) from Spain with the remainder from Morocco, Algeria ,Tunisia, South of France, the west coast of Italy, as well as the islands of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia.

The cork forest is the dominant ecosystem in much of these arid coastal areas providing food and habitat for wildlife, grasslands and many types of fauna as well as a deep root system that protects against erosion.

Why are cork trees so important?

A unique ecosystem: The cork oak forests retain almost 14 million tons of CO2 per year. Image © APCOR.

The cork oak tree is the only tree that allows its bark to be removed and then regrows again. Believed to have evolved as a natural defence mechanism against forest fires, this unique capability means that a cork tree that is harvested regularly absorbs 5 times more CO2 than other trees.

The bark which is harvested to make into numerous cork products is a thus a natural, truly sustainable material that can also be recycled.

Cork forests also provide a vital role in fighting climate change by regulating the hydrological cycle (the continuous motion of water from the ground to the atmosphere and back again).

Iberian pigs enjoying the acorns of the cork oakage.

Among the many types of wildlife that inhabit these forests, the Iberian pig is notably important in central and southern parts of Spain and Portugal. Famous for the unique nutty flavour of Iberico pork, these pigs live grazing on a diet of grass, mushrooms, bugs and herbs on the forest floor but their favourite food is the nutty acorns of the cork oak which make the richest tasting pork you can find.  

The Iberian Lynx.

Another unique inhabitant of the cork forests is the Iberian Lynx whose survival is a recent success story. Thanks to recent conservation efforts the Iberian Lynx population increased from 62 mature individuals in 2001 to 648 in 2022 and today, the total population, including young and mature ones, is estimated to exceed 2000. Source: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12520/218695618.

Dehesa: Forest of Iberian Lynx is a documentary by BBC and National Geographic wildlife documentary director Joaquín Gutiérrez Acha, and produced by José María Morales, founder of Wanda Films. Video © The European Nature Trust

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), constitutes more than 90 percent of the Lynx’s diet in the cork forests. Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash.

#Cork #CorkForests #Conservation #Biodiversity #Ecology #Conservation #ReconnectWithNature

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In the sailing world, cork is becoming the go-to material to meet modern decking needs. Being significantly lighter than traditional materials and up to 5 times lighter than teak, cork is also highly resistant to wear and tear making it ideal for high-traffic marine applications.

The unique advantages of this natural material are increasingly appreciated in the sailing world.

Picture: https://ecomarinedeck.co.uk/

Back in the early 80s the Dutch company Stazo first began research on alternatives for teak ship decks. Their focus was to find something non-skid, waterproof, and easy to clean. Many different options were investigated, including synthetic materials but cork became the preferred choice due to its sustainable harvesting properties. To maximise the advantages and natural properties of cork, a hybrid synthetic binder was developed, improved and adapted to environmental requirements. The result was Marinedeck 2000®, a product which is now replacing traditional decks on yachts and powerboats having proved itself over more than three decades of use.

“Cork is quickly emerging as a standout choice in eco-friendly decking. We have only recently started working with it and there is absolutely no downside to it.”

– Teakdecking Systems Inc.

Picture: https://www.teakdecking.com

Apart from reducing overall weight, the closed-cell structure of cork dampens structural noise, reducing onboard sound levels and offering superior thermal and acoustic Insulation. It is also impervious to salt water and unlike other materials, cork doesn’t crack, warp, or degrade with sudden temperature changes.

Cork decking is specified on the 2025 ‘Multihull of the Year’ winner at La Grande Motte Multihull Show – the advanced EXCESS 13 catamaran…

Picture: https://www.excess-catamarans.com/

Cork has a soft, velvety feel underfoot, enhancing comfort and safety on deck. The advantage of low thermal conductivity (0.065 W/mºK) keeps decks cool underfoot in the sun and warm in the cold. It’s also splinter-free reducing the risk of impact injuries compared to traditional hardwood decks.

Cork decking is standard on the X Shore 1 Electric daycruiser…

Picture: https://xshore.com/products/x-shore-1/

…and the P-01 hydrogen powered boat from MadBlue Marine

Pictures: https://www.madbluemarine.com/

With thanks to:

Eco Marine Deck – https://ecomarinedeck.co.uk
Excess-Catamarans – https://www.excess-catamarans.com/
Madbluemarine.com – https://www.madbluemarine.com
Navicork – https://navicork.com/
Stazo – https://stazo.nl/en/stazo-marinedeck/
Teakdecking Systems Inc – https://www.teakdecking.com
XShore.com – https://xshore.com/products/x-shore-1/

#yachtbuilding #corkdecking #sustainabledecking #yachtingindustry #navalarchitecture #coolinTheHeat

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