The Mystery of Cork

In our daily life, we can see cork products such as floors and corks. In fact, there are dozens of cork products developed today. Then why do people like cork so much? Let's talk about the mystery of cork.

1. The Origin

Quercus variabilis, also known as oak tree, which produces cork, is famous for its firmness in China. The scientific community believes that Quercus variabilis is one of the oldest existing tree species in the world, which originated in ancient times about 60 million years ago. However, cork products have been popular in Europe for hundreds of years before they came to China, which is rather a bit of a late arrival.

2. Physical components

Cork comes from the bark of Quercus variabilis. The developed regeneration ability of cork cortex of Quercus variabilis is rare in the world. If it is regularly stripped, the tree will not only die, but also grow new bark.
Cork is made up of many fibrous cells filled with air, and the outside of each cell wall is surrounded by many phellem. Its main chemical composition is suberin, which is considered by biochemists to be a fatty acid, phenolic acid and polyester, with some wax attached. These components make phellem an impermeable substance, and its cell chemical properties are very stable, not only do not decay, but also the aging process is slower, so the products made of cork have a particularly long service life.

3. Features and the Reason

The remarkable feature of cork is its elasticity, sound insulation and heat insulation. When viewed with a microscope, each cubic centimeter of cork contains 40-60 million cells, but they are dead cells. The cross section of the dead cells is made into a hexagonal honeycomb structure. Figuratively speaking, about half of the volume of cork is air, and the dead cells form airtight air bags. After being compressed, the air bag shrinks and the intracellular pressure increases. When the pressure is lost, the air pressure in the cell decreases, and the cell returns to its original state. At the same time, these closed air bags also form excellent sound and heat insulation effects.

4. The advantages of Cork Products

1) Absolute Environmentally Friendly
2) Pleasant Aesthetic Feeling
3) High- strength Wear Resistance
4) Resistance to Stains and Chemicals

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